Q>z.s 


ASTORAL    LETTER 


CLERGY    AND    LAITY 


OF  HIS  diocese;. 


T,  RIV.  L.  SILLIMAN  IVES,  D.D 


3ISHOP   OF  NQBTH  CABOLINA. 


NEW-YORK : 
NFORD  AND  SWORDS,  137,  BROADWAY. 

1849. 


Library  of 
The  University  of  North  Carolina 


COLLECTION  OF 

NORTH  CAROLINIANA 


ENDOWED  BY 

JOHN  SPRUNT  HILL 

of  the  Class  of  1889 


2.5£.~I^3p 


0.2L 


<v 


%S1 


PASTORAL    LETTER 


CLERGY    AND    LAITY 


OF  HIS  DIOCESE, 


RT.   REV.  L.  SILLIMAN    IVES,   D.  D 


BISHOP    OF   NORTH  CAROLINA. 


NEW- YORK : 
STANFORD  AND  SWORDS,  137,  BROADWAY. 

1849. 


CONTENTS 


I. 

The  existence  of  great  agitation  and  alarm  in  the  Dioeese   .        .       7 

II. 

The  alleged  ground  of  this  agitation     .       ,.        t-.         .        ..        ..       8 

III. 

The  action  of  the  late  Convention        . 11 

I.  The  Convention  does  not  determine  what  is  to  he  believed, 

but  receives  what  is  determined     .         .         .         .         .11 
II.  The  power  to  teach  and  enforce  Christian  doctrine  and 
discipline,  resides  not  in  the  Convention,  but  with  the 
Clergy 15 

III.  Our  Church  recognizes  and  acts  upon  this  principle  .     15 

IV.  The  Clergy,  and  not  the  Convention,  responsible  touching 

doctrine,  discipline,  and  worship 16 

V.  The  Constitution  of  the  Convention  forbids  its  pronouncing 

on  such  points 18 

VI.  Remedies  against  false  teaching 19 

IV.    , 
Actual  state  of  the  Diocese  •  .        .         .        .        .        .22 

I.  Consideration  of  Doctrine 23 

1.  Testimony  of  the  Diocese  concerning  Priestly  inter- 

1  vention  in  pardoning  sins 26 

£  2.  Nature  of  Repentance         .        .        .31 

3k 


<t. 


IV-  CONTENTS. 

3.  Contrition   .         .         • .32 

4.  Confession  ........     33 

5.  Origin  of  Private  Confession        .         .         .         .         .35 

6.  Voluntary  Private  Confession  in  the  Primitive  Church       36 

7.  Church  of  England  view  of  Confession         .         .         .41 

8.  Satisfaction -43 

9.  Absolution .     47 

10.  The  bearing  of  Absolution  on  Confession      .         .         .51 

II    Consideration  of  Ceremonies  and  Practices       .         .         .54 

III.  Consideration  of  Pastoral  Exactness 58 

IV.  Society  of  the  Holy  Cross  ;  alledged  surrender  of  previous 

views 60 

V. 

Reasons  for  present  course  and  conduct        -        -        -        ..        .61 


PASTORAL    LETTER 


TO  THE  CLERGY    AND    LAITY  OF    THE    DIOCESE  OF  NORTH 
CAROLINA. 

Dear  Brethren — You  were  doubtless  surprised, 
that  I  should  so  far  seem  to  suspect  your  confidence 
in  my  fidelity  to  our  branch  of  the  one  Catholic 
Church,  as  during  the  sitting  of  the  late  Convention 
at  Salisbury,  to  think  it  necessary  to  give  you  assur- 
ances of  such  fidelity,  in  the  form  of  a  charge  to  the 
clergy.  I  am  aware,  had  you  been  duly  represented,* 
there  would  have  been  as  little  demand  for  such  as- 
surances, as  there  was  ground  for  requiring  them  ; 
and  the  only  apology  I  can  offer  you  for  so  humiliat- 
ing an  act,  may  be  found  in  the  desire,  I  have 
always  cherished,  to  shield  you  from  harm  at  any 
sacrifice  of  mere  personal  feeling  or  right.  Besides 
the  circumstances  under  which  I  acted  should  not  be 
overlooked.  I  was  confined  to  my  bed  by  severe  ill- 
ness, not  admitting  of  my  writing  or  even  thinking 
intensely  without  danger  to  my  life.  While  in  this 
helpless  state,  I  heard  incidentally  of  some  intended 
action  in  the  convention  in  regard  to  my  own  views 
and  teaching.  So  extraordinary  a  proceeding  I  could 
hardly   credit.     Still   I  felt  it  to  be  my  duty  to  have 

*  Out  of  48  parishes  assessed  in  the  diocese,  you  will  see  by  the  Jour- 
nal, only  13  marked  as  having  been  represented  in  convention. 


A  PASTORAL  TETTER. 


some  communication  with  that  body,  and  with  this 
view  sent  for  two  oi  my  presbyters,  to  whom,  after 
consultation,  1  consented  to  dictate  the  charge  to 
which  I  have  alluded,  authorizing  them,  however,  to 
present  it  to  the  clergy,  only  on  the  express  condition, 
"that  no  resolution  should  be  passed  in  the  Convention 
implying  its  right,  either  directly  or  indirectly,  to  affirm 
what  you,  as  a  diocese  hold,  in  regard  to  doctrine, 
discipline  or  worship;  or  what,  in  respect  to  these 
points,  the  clergy  are  bound  to  teach." 

As  the  circumstances  under  which  I  dictated  this 
charge  lorbade  all  explanation  at  the  time,  I  expressed 
to  my  presbyters,  my  determination  to  address  you, 
on  this  subject,  so  soon  as  God  should  give  me 
strength  to  do  it.  Which  determination  was  by  no 
means  relaxed,  on  finding  the  condition  I  had  imposed 
wholly  disregarded,  and  my  act  much  misunderstood, 
as  a  yielding  of  those  principles,  which  I  hold  most 
sacred,  and  a  due  carrying  out  of  which,  I  believe  to- 
be  essentially  indentified  with  the  welfare  of  the  souls 
committed  to  my  trust. 

Had  I  nothing,  Dear  Brethren,  but  my  own  inter- 
est and  honor  to  consult,  I  should  here  lay  down 
my  pen,  and  yielding  to  the  strong  impulse  of  my 
heart,  offer  humble  and  devout  thanksgiving  to  God 
for  most  undeserved  blessings,  for  your  great  for- 
bearance and  exemplary  kindness  to  me  for  nearly 
twenty  years  of  very  imperfect  and  unworthy,  though 
well  intentioned  services.  As  a  man  I  have  nothing 
to  utter  but  thanks,  and  nothing  to  ask,  but  your 
earnest  prayers  to  God  for  the  pardon  of  my  many 
sins,  and  for  His  grace  and  strength  to  bear  me  up 
under  the  heavy  burden  of  my  duties  and  responsi- 
bilities, that  I  may  stand  the  severe  trial  of  this  day, 
which  is  showing  with  an  awful  distinctness,  "  who 
are  His,  and  who  is  holy."  But  I  bear  to  you  an- 
other relation.  J  have  "  the  rule  over  you  "  by  divine 
commission,  and  must  give  account  for  your  souls  at 


A  PASTORAL  LETTER.  7 

the  day  of  judgment.  I  was,  without  my  seeking, 
made  your  Bishop.  God  empowered  me,  and  exacted 
of  me  a  solemn  vow,  to  "  teach  and  exhort  you,  to 
withstand  gainsayers,  and  to  use  all  diligence  to  banish 
and  drive  away  from  the  Church  all  erroneous  and 
strange  doctrine."  Therefore  I  now  speak  to  you, 
"  in  the  name  of  the  Father  and  of  the  Son  and  of 
the  Holy  Ghost,"  and  I  entreat  you  for  Christ's  sake 
and  for  your  soul's  sake  to  give  heed  to  my  words. 
My  motive  (God  knoweth,)  is  a  humble  desire  to 
glorify  Him,  and  keep  you  in  the  way  of  truth,  unto 
eternal  life.  If,  in  what  I  have  to  say,  I  may  seem 
to  touch  unnecessarily  upon  some  small  things,  it  is 
because  of  their  relation  to  great  ones ;  or  may  seem 
to  reflect  upon  individuals,  it  is  for  the  defence  and 
protection  of  the  diocese.  Great  and  essential  princi- 
ples are  often  involved,  in  what  might  otherwise  ap- 
pear, unimportant  acts. 

I. 

Hence  I  must  be  allowed,  in  the  first  place,  to 
bring  to  your  notice  what  I  conceive  to  be  the  errors 
of  principle,  in  the  first  document  on  the  page  of  the 
Journal — the  report  on  the  state  of  the  Church, 
which  introduces  the  subject  of  excitement  in  the  dio- 
cese. The  words  of  the  report  are,  "  the  committee 
deplore  the  existence,  among  the  members  of  the 
Church,  of  great  agitation  and  alarm,  arising  from 
the  impression,  that  doctrines  have  been  preached 
not  in  accordance  with  the  Liturgy  and  Articles  of 
the  Church,"  &c.  Now,  from  the  manner  in  which 
this  assertion  is  put  forth,  it  is  to  be  presumed,  that 
the  committee  meant  to  be  understood  as  affirming 
the  existence  generally  in  the  diocese,  of  this  "  great 
agitation  and  alarm."  But  upon  what  testimony,  I 
would  ask,  is  this  assertion  made  ?  The  only  testi- 
mony which  the  diocese  in  her  canons  allows,  in 
such  a  case,  is  "  a  written  account  of  the  state  of 


8  A  PASTORAL  LETTER. 

each  parish,  given  by  its  minister,  in  his  parochial 
report."  The  5th  canon  says,  "  that  it  shall  be  the 
duty  of  each  minister  to  report  annually  to  the 
bishop  " — among  other  things — "  a  written  account 
of  the  state  of  the  parish.  Which  reports  shall  be, 
by  the  bishop,  communicated  to  the  convention,  and 
read  in  their  presence,  in  order  to  promote  a  general 
knowledge  of  the  state  of  the  Church."  These  reports, 
on  the  occasion  referred  to,  were  handed  to  the 
bishop,  and  by  him  communicated  to  the  convention. 
And,  according  to  our  canon  law,  they  contain  all 
the  testimony  in  respect  to  the  state  of  the  Church, 
in  the  diocese,  or  any  portion  of  it,  wThich  is  either 
legal  or  trustworthy.  I  call  upon  the  Church,  in  the 
diocese,  and  throughout  the  union,  to  examine  these 
parochial  reports,  and  discover,  if  possible,  any  "  ac- 
count" or  evidence,  from  the  only  persons  allowed  by 
canon  to  testify — viz :  the  parochial  clergy  and  the 
bishop — of  "  great  agitation  and  alarm,"  either  in  the 
diocese,  or  any  one  parish  in  the  diocese !  To  say 
that  there  is  such  "  agitation  and  alarm,"  when  the 
parochial  clergy,  to  a  man,  are  silent  on  the  subject, 
is  to  say,  that  they  have  been  culpably  negligent  in 
a  canonically  prescribed  and  commanded  duty. 

II. 

The  next  thing  to  be  noticed,  is  the  alleged 
ground  of  this  "agitation  and  alarm" — which,  to 
use  the  words  of  the  report,  consists  "  in  the  impres- 
sion that  doctrines  have  been  preached  not  in  ac- 
cordance with  the  Liturgy  and  Articles  of  this 
Church,  and  that  ceremonies  and  practices  have 
been  introduced,  either  unauthorized  by  the  customs 
of  this  Church,  or  in  plain  violation  of  its  rubrics." 
It  is  true,  the  committee  decline  either  to  affirm  or 
deny  the  existence  of  these  things,  on  the  ground 
that  "it  is  not  their  business"  But  if  it  be  not  their 
business  to  inquire  into  the  fact  of  their  existence, 


A  PASTORAL  LETTER.  9 

by  what  authority  do  they  touch  them  at  all  ?  And 
more  than  this ;  by  what  authority  do  they  indi- 
rectly define  them  and  assert  their  existence  in  an 
attempted  exculpation  of  "  the  far  greater  part  of  the 
clergy"  and  hence,  in  an  implied  charge  of  guilt 
against  the  minority  of  the  clergy,  embracing  the 
Bishop  of  the  Diocese  ?  For  how  can  the  commit- 
ted know  that  the  greater  part  of  the  clergy  are  en- 
tirely opposed  to  certain  things,  except  as  they 
define  them,  and  hence  give  them  existence  ?  I 
agree  with  the  committee,  that  it  *  was  no  business 
of  theirs"  to  determine,  whether  or  not  the  matters 
charged  upon  a  portion  of  the  clergy  were  founded 
in  fact.  But  I  must  be  permitted  to  go  further,  and 
affirm,  that  (if  possible)  it  was  still  less  their  busi- 
ness to  pass  an  implied,  but  not,  on  that  account, 
the  less  oppressive  censure  upon  that  portion,  with 
the  Bishop  at  their  head.  I  say  the  Bishop — for  it 
is  useless  to  reply  that  he  was  not  named,  since  it  is 
notorious,  that  both  in  the  Convention  and  the  com- 
mittee, he  was  named  as  the  chief  offender.  And 
now,  brethren,  consider  the  circumstances  under 
which  this  was  done.  The  Church,  at  large,  have 
a  right  to  suppose,  that  this  was  an  extreme  mea- 
sure, resorted  to  after  every  canonical  means  had 
failed;  while  the  truth  is,  no  canonical  means  had 
been  tried.  No  expostulation  with  the  Bishop  by 
the  clerical  members  of  the  standing  committee,  nor 
by  any  other  body  of  the  clergy.  No  charges  laid 
before  him  against  any  priest  or  deacon,  as  teaching 
heretical  doctrine,  or  practicing  forbidden  things. 
No  complaint  by  any  rector  that  he  had  been  an- 
noyed by  the  practices  of  any  neighboring  priest, 
nor  from  any  layman,  against  those  of  his  pastor.  No 
word,  save  in  one  solitary  instance  of  friendly  coun- 
sel on  the  subject,  except  as  sought  by  the  Bishop 
himself,  from  any  clergyman  or  layman  in  the  dio- 
cese.    But,  after  a  quiet  and  apparently  profitable 


10  A  PASTORAL  LETTER. 

visitation  throughout  the  low  country,  in  which  all 
his  sermons,  which  are  now  said  to  have  produced 
excitement,  were  preached,  with  the  almost  univer- 
sally avowed  approbation*  of  clergy  and  laity,  the 
Bishop  finds  himself  virtually  arraigned  for  his  teach- 
ing by  a  convention  assembled  in  a  remote  part  of 
his  diocese — called  with  no  general  knowledge  of 
the  intention  of  a  few  alarmists,  representing  only 
thirteen  or  fourteen  parishes  out  of  about  fifty — 
having  in  it  only  nine  clergymen  out  of  forty,  and 
six  laymen  out  of  the  whole  representation,  who  had 
ever  heard  the  sermons,  f  indirectly,  but  no  less  in- 
juriously, referred  to  in  the  report  of  the  commit- 
tee. 

Besides,  if  the  teachings  and  practices  of  the 
Bishop  and  those  who  may  sympathize  with  him, 
had  been  of  the  character  implied  in  the  report, 
what  evidence  had  the  far  greater  part  of  the  clergy  J 
given  of  their  peculiar  and  exemplary  fidelity  ?  The 
false  teaching  or  irregularity  supposed,  in  order  to 
produce  such  "  great  agitation  and  alarm,"  must 
have  been  both  known  to  these  clergymen,  and  very 
dreadful  in  itself.  Where  is  the  evidence  of  their 
manly  and  canonical  resistance  ?     The  conclusion, 

*  The  rector  of  one  of  our  largest  parishes,  and  a  member  of  the 
committee,  as  I  was  about  to  leave,  after  having  delivered  my  course 
of  sermons,  ealled  with  members  of  his  vestry,  and  said  to  me  these 
words — "  Bishop,  we  had,  before  your  visitation,  heard  much  of  your 
popery ;  but  all  I  can  say  is,  that  I  hope  you  will  be  able  soon  to  re- 
turn and  give  us  as  much  more  as  you  please  of  the  same  kind  .'"  To 
which  his  vestry  present  seemed  to  yield  a  hearty  assent.  Many  more 
like  conversations,  if  needful,  I  might  relate,  with  only  one,  and  that  a 
sufficiently  notorious  exception. 

t  I  feel  bound  to  state,  that  the  lay  delegates  from  all  the  old 
parishes,  who  had  heard  the  sermons,  and  were  accustomed  to  repre- 
sent the  convention,  were,  except  in  two  instances,  utterly  opposed  to 
the  whole  Salisbury  proceeding. 

X  I  do  by  no  means  intend  here  to  sanction  the  idea,  that  the  far 
greater  part  of  the  clergy,  are  opposed  to  rny  teaching.  On  the  con- 
trary, I  doubt  not,  the  "  greater  part"  are  now  united  with  me.  The 
differences  are  merely  nominal. 


A  PASTORAL  LETTER.  11 

in  justice  to  them,  is  inevitable,  that  they  believed 
these  things  either  to  have  no  real  existence,  or  to 
corns  within  that  class  of  views  and  practices,  about 
which  clergymen  may  differ  and  still  be  faithful  to 
the  Church.  But  to  these  things  as  existing  in  North 
Carolina  I  shall  recur  in  the  sequel. 

III. 

I  now  come  to  the  consideration  of  that,  which,  in 
my  humble  judgment,  may  well  excite  "alarm"  in 
the  breast  of  every  true  son  of  the  Church,  as  stri- 
king, in  principle,  at  the  very  foundations  of  truth 
and  order,  as  hitherto  held  and  acted  upon  by  this 
diocese — I  mean  the  preamble  of  the  resolution  rela- 
ting to  the  publication  of  the  report  on  the  state  of 
the  Church  and  the  Bishop's  charge. 

I.  In  regard  to  the  matter  of  this  preamble,  I 
shall  say  nothing  ; — whatever  may  be  its  merits  or 
demerits,  they  are  perfectly  harmless.  But  of  the 
principle  involved  in  it,  viz  : — the  right  of  a  conven- 
tion to  affirm  what  a  diocese  holds,  or  what  the  clergy 
may,  or  may  not  teach,  I  am  now  called  upon  to 
speak.  1  protested  against  this  principle,  at  the  time, 
as  strongly  as  my  feeble  state  would  allow ;  and  had 
I  been  present  in  the  convention,  no  such  principle 
would  have  been  sanctioned,  for  no  resolution  invol- 
ving it  would  have  been  put  to  that  body.  And  I 
am  bound  here  to  state,  upon  good  authority,  that, 
as  it  was,  the  clergy  who  were  silent,  and  many 
who  voted  for  the  preamble,  would  have  opposed  its 
passage,  had  they  not  been  under  a  wrong  impres- 
sion as  to  my  real  views  of  it.  Be  this  as  it  may,  I 
now  renew  my  protest  against  the  principle  involved 
in  it,  as  utterly  subversive  of  the  fundamental  faith 
and  polity  of  the  Church.  No  convention,  constitu- 
ted as  our  conventions  are,  has  a  right  to  determine 
what  is,  or  should  be,  the  faith,  or  practice  under 
the  faith,  of  a   diocese.      That   is  determined  by  a 


12  A  PASTORAL  LETTER. 

power  far  above  it !     What  a  Christian  is  to  believe 
and  do  comes  from  God,  and  is  imposed  by  His  au- 
thority.     So  that   every  Christian,  in  every  diocese 
and  nation,  and  throughout  the  universal  Church,  is 
bound,  eo  nomine,  to  believe   and   do,  if  he  would 
save  his  soul,  that  which  God  hath  enjoined.     And 
hence,  all   are   bound  to  believe  and   do  essentially 
the  same  things,  as  they  are  all  commanded  to  be  of 
"one  heart  and  mind,  and  one  mouth  in  glorifying 
God  and  striving  together  for  the  faith  of  the  Gospel/' 
But,  as  from  the  character  of  the  human  mind,  and 
the  effects  of  sin,  Christians   are  not  able  to   "  keep 
the  unity  of  the  spirit  in  the  bond  of  peace,"  by  the 
rule    of  individual   judgment,    God  hath    made   His 
Church — "  His  One  Catholic  and  Apostolic  Church," 
"  the  pillar  and  ground  of  the   Truth ;"  made   this 
Church,  in  her  character  as  universal,  or,  "  one  body 
in  Christ" — the  interpreter  and  judge,  for  every  indi- 
vidual, and  every  diocese,  and  every  integral  portion 
of  His  body.     And  hence  the  presence  of  Christ  per- 
sonally, and  by  the  power  of  the  Holy  Ghost,  is  pro- 
mised, through  the  apostles,  to  the  universal  Church, 
or  to  His   body    as    one — and    to  each  portion  and 
member   of  that  body,  only   as   it   continues  in  the 
faith,  and  order,    and   sacraments,   adjudged  and  de- 
clared  by  the  whole    to   have  been  received  from 
God.*     It    is    true,  we   have  power  to  depart  from 
thence,   just    as  we    have    power    to    commit    any 
other  sin.     But  we  have   no   right,  and  if  we  would 
attain  eternal  life,  we  must  not  do  it.     The  principle 
here  laid  down  is  the  one  upon   which  the  English 
Reformers  placed   themselves   in  justifying  their  re- 
sistance to  Rome.t     They  held   to  the  absolute  ne- 

*  "  Amidst  bo  great  perplexity  of  such  various  error,"  says  Bishop 
Ravenseroft,  "  it  is  extremely  necessary  lhat  the  line  of  prophetic  and 
apostolie  interpretation  be  regulated  by  the  standard  of  ecclesiastical 
and  catholic  judgment.'"     Vol.  T.  p.  173. 

t  "  I  affirm,"  says  Bishop  Ravenseroft,  "  and  shall  make  it  good, 


A  PASTORAL  LETTER.  13 

cessity  of  yielding  to  the  voice  of  the  Church  so 
long  as  she  gave  her  judgment  in  general  councils, 
which  was,  at  least,  up  to  the  sixth  century.  And 
they  argaed  the  necessity  of  breaking  away  from  the 
usurpations  of  Rom3,  on  the  grouad  that  Rome  had 
been  guilty  of  an  essential  departure  from  the  truth 
of  God,  as  fixed  and  enforced  by  the  judgment  of 
the  Catholic  or  universal  Church.  And  when  they 
set  forth  the  Book  of  Common  Prayer,  they  justified 
the  act,  on  the  ground  that  it  was  in  accordance 
with  this  same  judgment.  This  is  seen,  not  only  in 
the  language  of  the  royal  commission,  authorizing 
the  compilation  of  the  Prayer  Book,  but  also  in  the 
words  of  its  Preface.  "  Different  forms  and  usages 
may,  without  offence,  be  allowed,  provided  the  sub- 
stance of  the  faith  be  kept  entire  ;  and  what  can- 
not be  clearly  determined  to  belong  to  doctrine,  may 
be  altered,"  &c.  From  which  it  is  clear  that  the  Re- 
formers considered  it  necessary  to  keep  the  substance 
of  the  faith  entire,  as  settled  by  the  universal 
Church ;  and  hence,  to  allow  of  no  alteration  in 
anything  belonging  to  doctrine  ;  such  alteration 
having  the  nature  of  heresy.  Any  national  Church, 
therefore,  which  should  presume  to  deny  any  ancient 
Catholic  creed,  or  leave  out  any  article  of  such  a 
creed,  would,  ipso  facto,  cut  itself  off  from  the 
body  of  Christ.  It  was  on  this  principle  that  the 
English  bishops  refused  the  Episcopacy  to  the  Amer- 
ican Church,   till  they  had  restored  to  the  Apostle's 

that  this  rule,  either  expre33ly  in  terms,  or  virtually  in  its  principles, 
was  the  actual  basis  of  the  Reformation,  inasmuch  as  antiquity,  uni- 
versality, and  consent,  were  the  tests  by  which  the  Reformers,  every- 
where, were  determined  both  as  to  corruptions  and  reforms."  P.  357. 
And  ho  doe?  "  make  it  good."  See'  how  in  his  citations  from  Bishops 
Ridley,  Jewel,  Overall,  Hall,  Beveridge.  and  Bull,  with  Drs. 
Hammond,  Mede,  and  others.    P.  359  to  364. 

See  also  the  evidence  of  this,   ably  presented  in  a  pamphlet  of  Dr.. 
Hook's,  on  the  subject ;  and  more  feebly,   in  the  sermon  preached  by 
the  author,  at  the  consecration  of  the  Assistant  Bishop  of  Virginia, 
*1 


14  A  PASTORAL  LETTER. 

Creed,  the  article  on  "  the  descent  into  hell,"  which 
the  Reviewers  of  the  Prayer  Book  had  left  out ;  and 
further,  till  a  solemn  assurance  was  given  to  the 
Archbishop  of  Canterbury,  that,  in  omitting  the  Atha- 
nasian  Creed,  and  in  the  other  omissions  in  our 
Liturgy,  no  "  essential  departure  was  designed  from 
the  doctrine,  discipline,  and  worship  of  the  English 
Church."  Hence,  the  Athanasian  creed  is  virtually 
as  binding  upon  the  American  Church  as  upon  the 
English  ;  so  that  any  member  of  that  Church  who 
should  deny  the  truth  of  that  creed,  or  any  article 
of  it,  would,  thereb}%  become  a  heretic.  On  this 
same  principle,  viz. :  that  the  judgment  of  the  One 
Catholic  and  Apostolic  Church,  in  regard  to  faith, 
and  order,  and  sacraments,  is  the  ultimate  standard 
for  all  Christians,  it  is,  that  whatever,  in  the  way 
of  doctrine,  is  set  forth  by  any  national  Church  for 
the  protection  or  illustration  of  truth,  must  be  held 
subservient  to  such  judgment,  and  be  understood 
in  consistency  with  it.#  There  is  no  middle  way 
between  this  and  the  merest  private  judgment,  or 
"  the  doing  that,  which  is  right  in  one's  own  eyes/'  a 
thing  directly  forbidden  by  Almighty  God. 

From  this,  it  must  be  manifest  to  all,  that  a  dio- 
cese does  not  determine  its  own  faith,  but  comes  un- 
der the  necessity,  by  becoming  a  diocese,  to  believe 
and  do  certain  things  already  determined  for  it  by 
Almighty  God,  as  authoritatively  set  forth  by  the 
Universal  Church,  and  conveyed  to  it  by  the  national 
Church,  and  that  it  has  no  power  to  alter,  to  modify, 
or,  in  any  way,  to  impair  the  force  of  the  things  thus 
to  be  believed  and  done. 

*  Bishop  Ravknscroft  quotes  the  following  from  Chillingworth, 
with  approbation  of  it.  Holy  Scripture  "  is  not  a  judge  of  controver- 
sies, but  a  rule  to  judge  them  by  :"  and  that  not  an  absolutely  perfect 
j-ule  ;  but  as  perfect  as  a  written  rule  can  be.  which  must  always 
»eed  something  else,  which  is  evidently  true,  or  evidently  credible,  to 
give  illustration  to  it ;  and  that  in  this  case  is  universal  tradition.     So 

THAT    UNIVERSAL  TRADITION    IS   THE    RULE    TO  JUDGE  ALL  CONTROVERSIES 

by."     P.  374. 


A  PASTORAL  LETTER .  15 

II.  It  is  true,  there  is  a  power  in  a  diocese  to  ex- 
plain and  enforce  these  things — to  show  the  ground 
upon  which  they  stand — the  channel  of  divine  au- 
thority by  which  they  are  handed  down  to  us,  and 
made  binding  upon  us, — to  bring  them  out  from  the 
obscurity  of  private  and  sectarian  novelty,  into  the 
clear  light  of  primitive  authority,  that  their  divine 
beauty  may  be  seen,  their  reality  acknowledged,  and 
their  saving  benefits  felt. 

And  this  power,  in  a  diocese,  is  entrusted  solely 
to  that  sacred  instrumentality  to  whom  God  hath 
committed  the  ministry  cf  reconciliation.  "He 
gave  some  apostles,  and  some  prophets,  and  some 
evangelists,  and  some  pastors  and  teachers ;  for  the 
perfecting  of  the  saints,  for  the  work  of  the  min- 
istry, for  the  edifying  of  the  body  of  Christ,  till 
we  all  come  in  the  unity  of  the  faith,  and  of  the 
knowledge  of  the  Son  of  God,  unto  a  perfect  man, 
unto  the  measure  of  the  stature  of  the  fulness  of 
Christ.  That  henceforth  we  be  no  more  children, 
tossed  to  and  fro,  and  carried  about  with  every  wind 
of  doctrine,  by  the  sleight  of  men,  and  cunning  craf- 
tiness, whereby  they  lie  in  wait  to  deceive ;  but 
speaking  the  truth  in  love,  may  grow  up  into  Him 
in  all  things  which  is  the  head,  even  Christ. "  Here 
then,  in  words  directly  from  God,  which  the  Church 
has  ever  applied  to  the  holy  ministry,  that  ministry 
is  set  forth  as  the  sole  teacher,  edifier,  external  bond 
of  union,  and  shield  of  defence,  of  the  faithful  in 
Christ  Jesus. 

III.  In  submission  to  this  divine  arrangement,  our 
branch  of  the  Catholic  Church,  hath,  after  affirming 
that,  from  Holy  Scriptures  and  ancient  authors,  it  is 
evident  unto  all  that  the  holy  ministry,  since  the  days 
of  the  apostles,  has  consisted  of  three  orders,  bishops, 
priests,  and  deacons — declared,  that  "  to  the  intent 
that  those  orders  may  be  continued,  and  reverently 
used  and  esteemed  in  this  Church,  no  man  shall  be  ac- 


16  A  PASTORAL  LETTER. 

counted  or  taken  to  be  a  lawful  bishop,  priest  or  dea- 
con in  this  Church,  or  suffered  to  execute  any  of  the 
said  functions  *  except  he  be  called,  tried,  examined, 
and  hath  had  Episcopal  consecration  or  ordination." 
Now  what  can  more  effectually  than  do  these  words, 
restrict  to  this  holy  ministry,  all  teaching,  admonish- 
ing, edifying,  and  spiritual  judgment  and  oversight  ? 
Hence,  in  pursuance  of  this  principle,  all  who  are 
admitted  to  any  function  in  this  ministry  are  placed 
under  the  most  solemn  vows,  according  to  their  re- 
spective orders,  to  conform,  in  their  teaching  and 
ruling,  to  the  doctrine,  discipline,  and  worship  of  the 
Church.  While  no  person,  not  admitted  to  this  min- 
istry, is  placed  under  any  vow,  whatever,  touching 
these  things.  Besides,  the  Church,  in  her  national 
and  diocesan  Conventions,  has  generally  guarded 
this  principle,  by  not  allowing  any  layman  to  act,  in 
any  case,  except  in  a  subordinate  way,  where  any 
question  of  doctrine,  discipline,  and  worship,  or  any 
question  implying  spiritual  oversight,  such  as  relates 
to  "  the  state  ot  the  Church,"  is  likely  to  arise. 
Hence,  in  all  standing  committees,  the  clerical  mem- 
bers alone  are  allowed  to  counsel  with  the  bishop,  in 
determining  the  theological  qualifications  of  candi- 
dates for  holy  orders,  or  in  reference  to  other  spiritual 
matters,  while  the  clergy  only  are  authorized  to  act 
in  cases  of  discipline  and  in  committees  "  on  the  state 
of  the  Church." 

IV.  More  than  all  this,  the  clergy  alone  are  made 


*  Bishop  Hobart,  in  the  following  words,  gives  a  summary  of  these 
"  functions."  "  The  apostles  and  their  successors,  therefore,  were  com- 
missioned to  promulgate  the  terms  of  salvation,  to  teach  and  enforce  its 
doctrines  and  duties.  They  were  also  cammissioned  to  intercede  for  and 
bless  the  people,  and  to  present,  in  the  Holy  Eucharist,  the  commemo- 
rative sacrifice  of  the  death  of  Christ.  They  were  further  commissioned 
to  govern  the  Church,  to  admit  into  and  to  exclude  from  its  commu- 
nion, to  enact  its  laws,  and  to  administer  its  discipline.  And  this 
authority  would  be  transmitted  to  the  Church,  alway,  even  to  the  end 
of  the  world."— Com.  to  Altar,  p.  195. 


A  PASTORAL  LETTER.  17 

responsible  for  any  departure  from  the  doctrine,  dis- 
cipline, and  worship  of  the  Church.  Sad  as  may  be 
the  truth,  it  nevertheless  is  the  truth,  that  we  have  no 
law  that  can  justify  us  in  placing  laymen  under  dis- 
cipline for  heresy.  They  may  be,  and  I  know  are, 
in  a  large  majority  of  cases,  constrained  by  the  power 
of  conscience.  But  there  is  no  other  power,  in  cases 
of  false  doctrine  or  heresy,  that  we  can  call  into  ex- 
ercise to  control  or  rebuke  them.  They  may  be 
Socinians,  Universalists,  or  any  thing  else  you  can 
name,  if,  in  a  moral  sense,  they  be  not  open  and  no- 
notorious  evil  doers,  or  have  not  done  any  wrong  to 
their  neighbor  by  word  or  deed — -there  is  no  canoni- 
cal right,  except  we  go  beyond  the  canon  law  of  the 
American  Church,  to  which  some  desire  to  restrict 
us,  even  to  repel  them  from  the  Holy  Communion, 
In  this  view  of  the  matter,  (and  it  is  the  true  view,) 
we  may  see,  if  we  will,  that  the  only  security  to  the 
clergy,  yea,  to  the  doctrine,  discipline  and  worship 
of  the  Church,  is  found  in  her  wise  provision,  which 
precludes  the  judgment  of  the  laity  from  all  ques- 
tions involving  these  things  ;  a  provision,  flowing 
from  her  safe  maxim,  that  she  gives  no  authority 
where  she  exacts  no  responsibility. 

As,  therefore,  in  regard  to  a  Diocesan  Conven- 
tion, as  a  Convention,  the  Church  prescribes  no  duty, 
takes  no  pledge  of  fidelity,  and  exacts  no  responsi- 
bility, touching  her  doctrine,  discipline  and  worship, 
but  has  done  all  this  in  respect  to  her  clergy,  no 
such  convention  can,  without  an  unauthorized  as- 
sumption of  power  and  a  dangerous  invasion  of 
clerical  rights  and  functions,  presume  to  say,  what 
is  held  by  any  diocese,  or  what  its  clergy  may  or 
may  not  teach* 

*  Bishop  Ravenscroft  cites  the  following  from  Bishop  Overall,  as 
in  principle  true.  In  a  letter  to  Grotius,  the  Bishop,  in  regard  to  a 
book  of  the  former,  questions  the  correctness  of  certain  passages  "  which 
seemed  to  give  to  lay-powers  a  definite  judgment  in  matters  of  faith  ; 


18  A  PASTORAL  LETTER. 

V.  There  is  another  aspect  in  which  I  am  con- 
strained to  exhibit  this  important  point.  What  con- 
stitutes a  Diocese  ?  Without  doubt,  baptized  lay- 
men, deacons  and  priests,  with  a  bishop  placed  over 
them,  and  made  accountable  for  them  to  the  Church 
here,  and  to  the  Sovereign  Judge  hereafter.  What 
constitutes,  or  may  constitute,  a  Convention  ?  Not 
only  communicants,  but  also  laymen  unbaptized  and 
non-communicants  ;  in  other  words,  persons  who 
neglect  or  defer  the  fulfilment  of  their  baptismal 
vows,  with  others  who,  though  faithful  members  of 
Christ,  are  not  responsible,  so  far  as  any  provision 
of  our  Canons  is  concerned,  to  any  one  for  what 
they  believe  and  say  in  respect  to  doctrine,  disci- 
pline, or  worship.  These,  together  with  deacons 
and  priests,  without  a  Bishop,  often  make  up  a  con- 
vention, and  did  make  up  the  two  last  conventions 
of  this  diocese.  And  this  body — (I  mean  no  disre- 
spect to  them  in  their  true  capacity  as  men  and  cler- 
gymen)— this  body  is  to  define  and  set  forth  the  belief 
of  a  diocese !  To  publish  their  authoritative  judg- 
ment (I  blush  to  be  forced  to  say  it,  in  North  Caro- 
lina) of  what  the  Bishop  and  his  clergy  are  to  teach, 
and  the  people  of  the  diocese  must  receive  !  And  sup- 
pose they  should  attempt  to  do  it,  what  would  their 
judgment  be  worth,  to  any  bishop,  priest  or  deacon, 
who  has  to  give  an  account  to  God,  by  whose  com- 
mission he  acts  ;  or  to  any  layman,  who,  in  submis- 
sion to  the  command  of  God,  would  "  obey  them 
that  have  the  rule  over  him,"  and  thus  save  his 
soul  ? 

to  deny  the  true  power  and  jurisdiction  of  pastors  of  the  Church,  and 
to  rank  Episcopacy  among  unnecessary  things.  For  our  divines," 
says  he,  "  hold  that  the  right  of  definite  judgment  in  matters  of  faith 
is  to  be  given  to  Synods  of  Bishops,  and  other  learned  ministers  of  the 
Church,  chosen  and  convened  for  this  purpose,  according  to  the  usage 
of  the  ancient  Church  ;  who  shall  determine  from  Holy  Scripture,  ex- 
plained by  the  consent  of  the  ancient  Church — not  by  the  private  spirit 
of  heretics." 


A  PASTORAL  LETTER.  19 

VI.  But  suppose  the  Bishop,  or  any  of  his  clergy, 
teach  false  doctrine,  or  enforce  unauthorized  terms 
of  communion,  what  is  the  remedy  ? 

In  answering  this  question,  I  am  compelled  to 
touch  upon  that  which  I  would  most  gladly  have 
avoided,  my  own  authority  as  Bishop.  But  the  time 
has  come  which  calls  upon  me  to  sacrifice  all 
feelings  of  mere  delicacy,  and  to  raise  my  voice, 
though  I  may  stand  alone  in  my  diocese,  or  in  the 
American  Church,  against  what  I  regard  as  an  inva- 
sion of  the  powers  entrusted  to  me,  and  to  me  alone, 
by  Almighty  God,  for  the  spiritual  government  of  this 
portion  of   His  kingdom. 

In  self-defence,  I  am  obliged  to  say  I  did  not  covet 
these  powers,  I  did  not  seek  them  ;  that  in  fact  they 
were  forced  upon  me  against  my  will  ;  that  I  was 
taken  from  a  quiet  and  happy  sphere  of  duty,  to  which 
my  heart  fondly  clung,  and  constrained  by  the  providen- 
tial circumstances  *  of  my  election  to  enter  upon 
the  arduous  and  awfully  responsible  duties  of  my 
present  office.  The  Protestant  Episcopal  Church 
in  the  United  States,  acting  by  commission  from 
Almighty  God  through  her  Bishops  placed  me 
over  this  diocese,  and  made  me  alone  f  responsible  to 
the  Church  at  large  for  its  "doctrine,  discipline  and 
worship."  To  inspire  me  with  vigilance  and  prompt 
me  to  vigorous  action,  she  imposed  upon  me  the  most 

*  I  was  unanimously  elected  without  any  previous  intimation  of  the 
intention  of  the  diocese,  after  repeated  unsuccessful  trials  to  induce 
others  to  accept. 

t"  A  Bishop"  says  Hooker  "  is  a  minister  of  God,  unto  whom,  with 
permanent  continuance,  there  is  given  not  only  power  of  administering 
the  word  and  Sacraments,  but  also  a  further  power  to  ordain  ecclesias- 
tical persons,  and  a  power  of  chief ty  in  government  over  presbyters  as 
well  as  laymen,  a  power  to  be  by  way  of  jurisdiction,  a  Pastor  even  to 
Pastors  themselves  So  that  this  office,  consisteth  in  those  things 
which  are  common  to  other  Pastors,  as  in  ministering  the  word  and  Sa- 
craments ;  but  those  thing3  incident  to  his  office,  which  do  properly 
make  a  Bishop,  cannot  be  common  unto  him  with  other  pastors."  Vol.  ii. 
page  137. 


20  A  PASTORAL  LETTER. 

stringent  vows  of  fidelity  :  vows  which  bind  me  to 
answer  to  God  and  the  Church,  not  only  for  myself, 
but  for  every  Priest,  Deacon,  and  baptised  person 
within  my  jurisdiction.  Such  vows,  as  bind  no  other 
being  in  the  diocese ;  and  exact  of  me  an  accounta- 
bility to  which  no  other  being  is  made  subject.  Be- 
sides this,  to  enable  me  to  fulfil  my  trust,  she  has  en- 
dowed m3,  under  God,  as  she  hath  endowed  no  other 
man  or  body  of  msn  in  this  diocese,  with  a  special 
gift  of  the  Holy  Ghost  for  my  office  and  work  of  over- 
seer, and  hath  admonished  me,  to  remember  to  stir 
up  this  gift,  or  "  the  grace  of  God  given  me  by  the  im- 
positon  of  hands,"  reminding  me,  that  God  hath  not 
thus  given  me  the  spirit  of  fear  ;  but  of  power  and 
love  and  soberness*  Whatever  man,  therefore,  or 
body  of  men,  take  upon  themselves  the  power  of  dic- 
tation, or  control,  or  under  any  form,  the  chief  direc- 
tion, in  regard  to  the  doctrine,  discipline  and  wor- 
ship of  this  diocese,  or  of  any  part  of  this  diocese, 
are  guilty  of  arrogating  powers,  committed  solely  to 
my  hands,  assuming  a  trust,  for  which  I  alone  am 
made  responsible,  and  resisting  the  authority  of  Christ, 
and  the  functions  of  the  Holy  Ghost  with  which  I 
only  am  invested. 

They  do  more  than  this,  if  they  be  clergymen — 
they  violate  their  own  solemn  vows  of  fidelity  and 
submission.  Each  and  every  priest  and  deacon,  in 
the  diocese,  is  put  into  his  office  by  the  bishop,  makes 
his  promise  of  fidelity  to  "  the  doctrines,  discipline, 
and  worship "  of  the  Church,  to  the  bishop  ;  vows 
obedience  directly,  and  under  the  most  awful  cir- 
cumstances, to  the  bishop  ;  and  is  made  amenable  to 
him,  and  to  him  alone,f  for  failure  in  duty,  "  error 
in  religion,  or  for  viciousness  in  life."  If  any  com- 
plaint is  to  be  made,  it  must  be  made  to  the  bishop — 


*  See  the  Office  for  the  Consecration  of  a  Bishop, 
t  Read  the  Office  of  Institution. 


A  PASTORAL  LETTER.  21 

if  any  admonition  be  given,  or  punishment  inflicted, 
it  must  be  by  the  bishop.  And  all  this  is  not  left  to 
be  inferred,  from  the  inherent  powers  of  the  bishop, 
but  is  fixed  by  the  written  law  of  the  National  Church. 

We  are  here  put  in  possession  of  the  remedy, 
which  the  people  have  against  unlawful  teaching  or 
practices  of  priests  and  deacons,  and  which  they 
have  against  one  another.  If  any  communicant  feels 
aggrieved  under  the  discipline  of  the  priest ;  or,  if  any 
vestryman  shall  be  scandalised  by  his  teaching  or  prac- 
tices— or  if  any  deacon  shall  have  cause  of  offence 
against  any  priest,  or  any  priest  be  offended  with  his 
brother,  the  way  of  redress  is  open  by  the  law  ; — the 
appeal  is  to  the  bishop.  And  here  let  me  remind  you, 
brethren,  that  any  other  mode  of  reaching  these  evils, 
or  attempting  their  cure,  must  be  schismatical  in  its 
character,  and  utterly  subversive  of  law  and  order 
in  the  Church. 

And  now  we  come  to  the  final  remedy,  viz :  that 
against  the  false  teaching  and  unauthorized  and  op- 
pressive discipline  of  a  bishop.  Aside  from  that  con- 
fidential and  friendly  intercourse  which  should  always 
subsist  between  a  bishop  and  the  clergy  and  laity  of 
his  diocese,  (the  influence  of  which  may  always  be 
great  and  salutary,)  there  is  recognized,  by  the  spirit 
and  laws  of  the  Church,  a  right  on  the  part  of  his 
priests  to  counsel  with  him,  and  if  need  be,  expostu- 
late with  him,  in  reference  to  any  matter  relating  to 
the  soundness  of  the  faith,  or  welfare  of  the  diocese. 
And,  finally,  if,  after  this,,  he  shall  openly  violate  the 
laws  of  the  Church,  or  teach  heretical  doctrines ;  or 
shall  refuse  to  subject  to  godly  discipline,  those  of  his 
clergy  who  so  do ;  then  a  convention  of  his  diocese 
may  present  him  for  trial,  to  his  peers — the  bishops  of 
the  Church.  But  any  attempt  on  the  part  of  any  one 
or  number  of  his  clergy  to  thwart  his  views,  or  em- 
barass  his   official  labors,    by  combinations    among 


A  PASTORAL  LETTER. 


themselves,*  or  with  the  laity;  or  to  intimidate  and 
coerce  him,  by  exciting  against  him  the  popular  mind 
— lending  a  willing  ear  to  exaggerated  statements, 
and  giving  publicity  to  confidential,  desultory,  and 
unguarded  conversations — and  by  aiding  and  abet- 
ting unauthorized,  oppressive,  and  irresponsible  con- 
ventional acts,  is,  if  there  be  any  virtue  in  princi- 
ples, or  force  in  vows,  a  direct  violation  of  those 
ties  of  fellowship  and  sacred  promises  of  obedience, 
with  which  every  priest  and  every  deacon,  binds  his 
conscience  and  his  soul,  at  his  ordination ; — while  it 
virtually  annihilates  the  Episcopal  office,  exposes  that 
of  the  priesthood  to  contempt,  and  infuses  into  the 
whole  body  of  Christ,  the  elements  of  disorder,  feeble- 
bleness,  and  death. 

Brethren,  "  I  would  not  be  negligent  to  put  you 
in  remembrance  of  these  things,  which  are  most 
surely  believed  among  you  ;  and  to  endeavor,  more- 
over, that  ye  may  be  able,  after  my  departure,  to 
have  them  always  in  remembrance.  For  we  have 
not  followed  cunningly  devised  fables." 

IV. 

At  this  point  of  my  letter,  dear  brethren,  1  am 
forced  back,  however  unwillingly,  to  a  considera- 
tion of  the  actual  state  of  the  diocese.     I  do  not  claim 

*  In  reference  to  this  point,  see  an  able  pamphlet  or  the  late  Bishop 
Hobart,  addressed  to  a  clerical  association  in  his  diocese,  just  before  his 
death,  and  received  with  almost  universal  applause  throughout  the 
Church.  Mark,  also,  the  following  from  the  Apostolic  Canons :  "  Let 
not  the  presbyters  or  deacons  do  auy  thing  without  the  sanction  of 
the  bishop— for  he  it  is,  who  is  entrusted  with  the  people  of  the  Lord, 
and  of  whom  will  be  required  the  account  of  their  souls"—  Canon  39. 

Observe  the  warning  from  Chalcedon  "  The  crime  of  conspiracy," 
says  the  18th  canon  of  that  General  Council,  "  or  banding  together,  is 
utterly  forbidden  even  by  the  civil  laws;  much  more  then,  ought  such  a 
thing  to  be  forbidden  in  the  Church  of  God.  If,  therefore,  any  of  the  cler- 
gy should  be  discovered  either  conspiring  or  banding  together,  or  forming 
any  evil  designs  against  the  bishop  or  their  fellow  clergy,  let  them  be 
altogether  deposed  from  their  proper  rank." 


A  PASTORAL  LETTER.  23 

an  insight  (this  would  be  most  hazardous  in  our  day 
of  sudden  and  marvellous  changes)  into  the  hearts 
of  my  people.  But  if  I  may  be  allowed  to  draw  any 
conclusion  from  outward  indications, — to  "  judge  of 
the  tree  by  its  fruits," — I  should  venture  to  affirm, 
that  a  greater  increase  of  real  earnestness  and  humi- 
lity has  followed  the  last  year's  ministrations  of  the 
Church  here,  than  those  of  any  former  like  period 
in  my  Episcopate. 

Of  one  thing  I  may  speak  confidently,  viz. : — that 
the  Church,  in  its  accession  of  communicants, 
has  made,  during  the  past  year,  unusual  progress 
among  thoughtful  and  earnest  dissenters. 

But  this  beam  of  light  which  God  hath  sent  down 
to  cheer  our  hard  labors,  is  sought  to  be  inter- 
cepted by  the  clouds  of  human  passion.  The  charge 
upon  a  portion  of  our  self-denying  ministry  is,  that 
through  carelesness  or  wantonness,  or  some  other 
cause,  "doctrines  have  been  preached  not  in  accor- 
dance with  the  Liturgy  and  Articles  of  the  Church,  and 
that  ceremonies  and  practices  have  been  introduced 
either  unauthorized  by  the  customs  of  this  Church, 
or  in  plain  violation  of  its  rubrics."  This  is  a 
solemn  charge,  and  requires  from  your  Bishop  a 
solemn  answer.  He  has  had  it  for  nearly  a  month 
before  his  mind, — he  has  made  all  the  inquiry  con- 
cerning it  which  his  circumstances  would  admit,  and 
now,  in  view  of  that  account  to  God  for  which  the 
present  state  of  his  health  warns  him  to  make 
speedy  preparation,  he  can  affirm,  that  he  knows 
not  of  a  single  fact  in  this  diocese  upon  which  this 
charge,  or  what  is  the  same,  insinuation,  can  find 
any  reasonable  basis. 

I.  What  "  doctrine  has  been  preached  not  in  ac- 
cordance with  the  Liturgy  and  Articles  of  the 
Church  ?"  I  have  cast  my  thoughts  back  over  the 
last  year,  and  endeavored  to  recall  to  mind  the  ob- 
jections of  any  of  my  clergy  or  laity  to  any  sermon 


24  A  PASTORAL  LETTER. 

preached*  in  this  diocese,  by  any  priest  or  deacon 
of  the  same,  and  the  result  of  my  recollection  is : 
that  one  has  been  objected  to,  as  preached  against 
baptismal  regeneration, — one,  against  the  true  andpro- 
per  resurrection  of  the  body,  as  taught  in  the  Apostle's 
creed, — one,  against  priestly  absolution,  and  one,  in 
favor  of  the  Nestorian  heresy.  But  as  the  charge  in  the 
report  of  the  committee  is,  doubtless,  designed  to  point 
in  a  totally  different  direction,  I  must  consider  my  own 
teaching  as  alone  referred  to.  For  that,  I  stand 
ready  to  answer  to  the  One  Catholic  and  Apostolic 
Church,  as  represented  by  our  branch  of  it.  All  I 
have  taught  is  now  before  the  public, — Seven  Ser- 
mons on  the  Obedience  of  Faith,  and  a  Pastoral  Let- 
ter on  the  Priestly  Office,  exhibiting  the  whole 
amount  of  my  teaching  during  the  last  year.  In  re- 
gard to  the  first,  there  has  been  no  time  for  the 
Church  to  give  her  verdict ;  but  in  respect  to  the 
last-named  production,  I  here  adduce  the  judgment 
of  a  brother  Bishop,  than  whom  a  sounder  and  abler 
theologian,  or  a  truer  son  of  the  Church,  cannot  be 
named.  In  the  Charleston  Gospel  Messenger,  for 
June  last,  is  the  following  notice  of  my  Pastoral 
Letter  on  the  Priestly  Office : — "  Absolution  is  an 
outward  sign  of  the  blessing  of  forgiveness ;  and 
also  a  means  whereby  we  receive  grace,  and  a  pledge 
to  assure  us  of  grace.  And  yet  it  is  not  a  sacra- 
ment, as  one  branch  of  the  Church  defines  a  sacra- 
ment, because  it  was  not  ordained  by  Christ  Himself! 
It  is  an  ordinance  full  of  instruction.  It  manifests 
the  peculiar  authority  of  the  priesthood, — the  valua- 
ble trust  committed  to  it, — the  comfort  which,  God 
hath  so  ordered  it,  is  to  be  sought  and  obtained  gen- 
erally, (for  we  now  refer  not  to  exceptions,  not  to  in- 


*  Some  expressions  in  a  little  manual  at  Valle  Cruris  were  ob- 
jected to;  but  as  they  were  promptly  altered  by  the  Bishop,  they 
cannot  be  considered  as  embraced  in  the  charge  of  the  Report. 


A  PASTORAL  LETTER.  25 

dividual  cases,  and  intend  not  to  deny  that  the  Al- 
mighty can  dispense  with  His  own  regulations) 
through  the  intervention  of  the  priesthood.  This 
deep  doctrine  of  Holy  Scriptures,  taught  by  the 
Church,  overlooked,  if  not  repudiated,  by  the  sects, 
is  ably  vindicated  by  the  Pastoral  Letter  before  us. 
But  not  this  great  truth  only  ;  the  title  is  a  complete 
index  to  this  profound  production.  The  nature  of 
the  Christian  priesthood, — all  about  it, — its  divine 
authority, — its  momentous  functions, — the  obliga- 
tions of  the  laity  in  relation  to  it, — are  treated  con- 
cisely and  comprehensively,  and  in  a  manner  which 
interests  the  understanding  and  the  affections.  Our 
extracts  will  enrich  our  pages,  and  sufficiently  invite 
attention  to  a  Pastoral  intended,  of  course,  for  the 
Bishop's  own  diocese,  (for  he  never  undertakes  to 
counsel,  and  direct,  and  exercise,  semi-authority  in 
other  dioceses,)  but  which  the  members  of  the 
Church,  American,  Anglican,  and  Scottish,  and  In- 
dian, &c,  cannot  read  without  advantage,  although 
they  may  not  assent  to  all  its  details/'  Page  92. 
In  this  day  of  cowardly  shrinking  from  the  Truth, 
under  that  "fear  of  man  which  bringeth  a  snare,"  I 
thank  my  brother  for  so  bold  and  comforting,  though 
too  flattering  a  defence.  Particularly,  as  on  this 
doctrine  of  Priestly  Absolution,  the  great  battle  of 
Christ's  authority  in  the  Church  is  to  be  fought.  For, 
in  reference  to  this,  is  it  to  be  determined,  whether  the 
sacramental  system  of  the  gospel,  or  its  antagonist, 
Lutheranism,  is  to  prevail  with  us.  This  is  the  doc- 
trine,— the  necessity  of  Priestly  Absolution,  where  it 
may  be  had,  to  cancel  or  remit  all  sin  after  baptism, 
which  destroys  the  life  of  God  in  the  soul,  and  sepa- 
rates it  from  the  grace  of  the  covenant, — which,  it  is 
said,  has  called  up  around  your  Bishop,  so  many 
pale  faces,  and  fainting  hearts.  But  it  is  the  one 
on  which  he  stands  without  fear,  and  will  stand,  by 
the  help  of  God,  so  long  as  he  is  allowed  to  have 


26  A  PASTORAL  LETTER. 

part  in  the  apostleship,  and  struggle  on  for  Christ. 
Whether  the  doctrine  be  according  to  our  Liturgy, 
let  the  Church  Catholic  judge.  Indeed,  the  Church 
in  this  diocese  has  already  spoken  concerning  it. 

1.  The  lamented  Bishop  Ravenscroft,  although,  in 
his  teaching,  he  was  compelled  to  begin  somewhat 
nearer  the  alphabet  of  the  Faith,  has  nevertheless 
given  us,  in  language  not  easily  misunderstood,  all 
the  elements  of  this  important,  truth. 

"  It  appears  from  Scripture,"  says  the  Bishop, 
using  the  words  of  Mr.  Law,  "  that  all  Sacerdotal 
power  is  derived  from  the  Holy  Ghost."  Then  after 
showing  how  it  is  so  derived,  he  concludes :  "  From 
this  it  is  manifest  that  the  Priesthood,  is  a  grace 
of  the  Holy  Ghost."  Vol.  I.  p.  284.  Again.  "  As 
my  Father  sent  me,  even  so  send  I  you.  I  appoint 
unto  you  a  kingdom  as  my  Father  hath  appointed  un- 
to me."  "  Hence  it  is  clear,"  here  the  Bishop  uses 
his  own  words  :  "  First,  that  whatever  the  authority 
of  Christ,  in  the  Gospel  dispensation  was,  with  refer- 
ence to  the  Church,  of  the  same  extent  was  that  of 
His  Apostles.  Secondly,  as  the  Church  and  minis- 
try, in  this  dispensation,  were  intended  for  perpetuity, 
therefore  this  authority  must  also  continue  and  run 
parallel  with  it,  through  all  generations."  P.  134. 
On  this  ground  he  says  in  another  place:  "  The  mi- 
nistry in  the  Church  is  a  substitution  for  the  Lord 
Jesus  Christ  in  person."  P.  273.  Further  on,  he 
gives  a  history  of  this.  "  It  was  to  the  eleven  and 
to  them  only,  that  He  said,  as  my  Father  sent  me 
even  so  send  I  you.  His  passion  being  acomplished, 
the  purchase  of  redemption  completed,  and  a  king- 
dom conquered  from  sin  and  death,  then  it  was,  that 
He  conferred  on  the  eleven  and  their  successors  to  the 
end  of  the  world,  authority  to  plant  and  govern  this 
Church.  /  appoint  unto  you  a  kingdom  as  my  Fa- 
ther hath  appointed  unto  me.  All  power  is  given  unto 
me  in   heaven  and  earth.     Go  ye  therefore,  Sf-c.     It 


A  PASTORAL  LETTER.  27 

!  was  when  His  resurection  had  demonstrated  His  tri- 
umph over  death  and  hell,  that  rle  transferred  His 
divine  commission  to  His  eleven  Apostles;  that 
He  breathed  on  them  and  said,  Receive  ye  the  Holy 
Ghost.  Whosesoever  sins  ye  remit  they  are  remitted 
unto  them,  and  whosesoever  sins  ye  retain,  they  are 
retained.  And  it  was  when  His  glorious  ascension 
had  established  His  supreme  dominion  over  a  redeem- 
ed world,  that  He  poured  out  upon  them  the  Holy- 
Ghost,  to  qualify  them  for  their  work,  to  certify  to  the 
world  that  they  were  messengers  of  heaven,  and  the 
depositories  of  all  lawful  authority  in  the  kingdom  of 
His  dear  Son."  P.  455.  "We  consider/'  he  says,  the 
grace  and  mercy  of  the  Gospel  as  matters  of  strict 
covenant  stipulation,  as  bound  up  with  the  authority 
to  dispense  them,  as  inseparable  from  that  authority, 
and  only  by  virtue  of  that  authority,  (with  rever- 
ence be  it  spoken,)  pledging  the  glorious  source  of 
all  mercy  and  grace  to  his  creatures."  P.  253.  "  The 
grace  and  mercy  of  the  Gospel,  bound  up  with  the 
authority  to  dispense  them,  and  inseparable  from  that 
authority  !"  What  more  have  I  said  ?  What  more 
could  I  have  said,  in  regard  to  the  necessity  of  look- 
ing to  Christ  through  the  priesthood — ("  the  priest- 
hood being  a  substitution  for  the  Lord  Jesus  Christ 
in  person  ;)  for  the  grace  and  mercy  of  the  Gospel — 
absolution  from  sin,  and  strength  to  resist  it  ?  But 
again — "What  is  the  Gospel  but  a  message  of  grace 
to  rebels  and  enemies  to  Almighty  God,  offering 
them  pardon  and  reconciliation  on  certain  pre- 
scribed conditions  ?  What  is  the  Church,  but  the 
heaven-appointed,  visible,  and  accessible  depositary 
and  dispenser  of  this  grace  through  her  commissioned 
officers  ?  And  what  are  the  officers  of  the  Church 
called  in  Scripture  ?  Ministers,  Stewards  of  Mys- 
teries, &c.  Are  not  these,  then,  agents  for  a  speci- 
fied purpose,  and  their  work  an  agency  ?  Stand 
they  not  in  the  gap,  as  it  were,  between  Heaven 


28  A  PASTORAL  LETTER. 

and  Hell,  on  this  sin-ruined,  death-stricken  world, 
sent  from  God  to  win  souls  to  Christ,  and  pluck 
sinners  from  everlasting  burnings  ?"  &c.  P.  247.  And 
again,  speaking  of  the  ends  of  the  ministry  towards 
the  children  of  God,  he  says — "  The  first  is,  the  com- 
munication of  the  Gospel  to  mankind,  in  order  to 
recover  them  from  the  ruin  and  misery  of  sin,  and 
from  eternal  death  as  its  wages.  The  second  is,  to 
transact  the  conditions  of  this  recovery,  receiving  the 
submission  of  penitent  sinners,  and  by  administering 
to  such  the  divinely  instituted  pledges  of  pardon, 
and  adoption  into  the  family  of  God.  The  third  \s,  to 
watch  over  the  household  of  faith,  to  provide  for  their 
instruction  in  righteousness,  and  to  exercise  the  dis- 
cipline of  Christ.  Who  are  bound  to  submit  them- 
selves to  discipline,  where  no  lawful  authority  to 
inflict  censure  is  professed  ?  Above  all,  who  will  be 
found  to  regard  the  discipline  of  Christ,  unless  upon 
the  firm  persuasion,  amounting  to  fixed  faith,  that  to 
be  justly  cut  off  from  the  peace  and  privileges  of  the 
visible  Church  upon  earth,  is  a  virtual  exclusion  of 
such  person  from  the  Church  of  the  first  born,  which 
are  written  in  heaven  ?  P.  454.  Still  further.  "  He 
gave  some  apostles,  and  some  prophets,  and  some  pas- 
tors, for  the  perfecting  of  the  saints,  for  the  work  of 
the  ministry,  for  the  edifying  the  body  of  Christ,  till 
we  all  come  in  the  unity  of  the  faith,  and  of  the  know- 
ledge of  the  Son  of  God,  unto  a  perfect  man,  unto  the 
measure  of  the  stature  of  the  fulness  of  Christ.  Here 
then,  my  brethren,  we  have  the  appointment,  and 
purpose  of  the  ministry  fully  declared  to  us — and  all 
depending  on  this  root  of  unity,  the  authority  of 
Christ."  P.  552.  A  page  further  on,  the  Bishop 
continues — "  We  can  try  the  spirits  whether  they 
are  of  God  by  the  open  and  verifiable  standard — the 
descent  from  those  Apostles  to  whom  he  committed 
the  keys  of  the  Kingdom  of  Heaven — whom  He  em- 
powered to  bind  and  loose — whom  he  empowered  to 


A  PASTORAL  LETTER.  29 

commit  to  faithful  men,  after  them,  the  same  pre- 
cious deposit,  even  unto  the  end  of  the  world  ;  and 
whom  He  fully  authorized  for  all  these  glorious  and 
gracious  purposes  in  that  plenary  commission — As 
my  Father  sent  me,  even  so  send  I  you — As  my  Father 
appointed  unto  me  a  kingdom,  so  I  appoint  unto  you  a 
kingdom."  Once  more — "  Anointed  as  He  was  in  a 
peculiar  manner,  to  preach  the  Gospel  to  the  poor — to 
heal  the  broken-hearted — to  preach  deliverance  to  the 
captives,  and  recovering  of  sight  to  the  blind — to  set  at 
liberty  them  that  are  bruised — to  preach  the  acceptable 
year  of  the  Lord — so  to  His  ministry  in  all  ages  is 
this  holy  trust  committed.  As  my  Father  sent,  &c; 
and  He  breathed  on  them  and  said,  Receive  ye  the 
Holy  Ghost — whosesoever  sins  ye  remit,  they  are  re- 
mitted unto  them,  and  whosesoever  sins  ye  retain, 
they  are  retained,  and  lo  I  am  with  you  alway,  even 
unto  the  end  of  the  world.  Sacred  deposit — aw- 
ful trust — blessed  promise  ?  But  we  have  this 
treasure  in  earthen  vessels.  Brethren,  prav  for  us." 
P.  625. 

"  Alas !  what  blind  delusion  has  seized  upon  men, 
that  in  what  concerns  their  immortal  souls,  they  are 
carelessly  satisfied  with  a  security  on  which  they 
would  not  risk  their  estates,  and  are  filled  with  rage, 
perhaps,  at  the  friendly  hand  which  would  point  out 
their  error.  But  be  it  so,  whether  they  will  hear,  or 
whether  they  will  forbear,  the  whole  counsel  of  God 
must  be  declared."  P.  555. 

Had  this  noble  prelate  been  making  the  defence 
of  his  most  unworthy  successor,  he  could  not  have 
spoken  more  to  the  purpose  than  in  these  extracts — 
although  he  speaks  incidentally,  not  having  made 
priestly  absolution  the  immediate  subject  of  either  of 
the  discourses  which  have  been  cited. 

Another  voice  in  my  diocese,  clear  and  strong, 
comes  to  my  aid  on  this  important  subject.     It  pro- 
ceeds from  a  sermon  styled  "  Sacradotal  Absolution/' 
2 


30  A  PASTORAL  LETTEK. 

preached  by  the  Rev.  W.  A.  Curtis,  before  the  North 
Carolina  Convention  of  1843,  and  received  with 
unanimous  and  urgent  importunity  on  the  part  of  the 
clergy  for  its  publication.  I  regret  that  my  limits 
will  not  allow  me  to  give  it  entire.  May  I  not  hope, 
however,  that  at  least  my  brethren  of  the  clergy  will 
once  more  have  recourse  to  its  sound  and  godly,  and 
much  needed  instructions.  The  text  is  John  xx.  23. 
"  Whosesoever  sins  ye  remit  they  are  remitted  unto 
them,  and  whosesoever  sins  ye  retain,  they  are  re- 
tained." I  can  adduce  only  the  concluding  point. 
"  The  judicial  absolution  of  the  minister,  or  the  power 
of  executing  Church  discipline,  must,  also,  seriously 
affect  his  subject  in  his  relation  to,  and  favor  with 
God.  For  as  union  with  Christ  is  ordinarily  effected 
through  means  instituted  in  the  Church,  and  as  with- 
out union  with  Him  none  can  hope  for  salvation, 
they  who  are  excluded  for  their  offences  from  a  par- 
ticipation in  those  mystical  pledges  of  the  divine  life, 
are  severed  from  the  body  of  Christ,  and  cut  off  from 
those  channels  of  quickening  grace,  through  which 
salvation  is  ordinarily  conveyed  to  mankind.  And 
as  God  has  constituted  His  ministry  through  the 
agents  or  instruments  of  this  mystical  union  by  the 
Church,  He  will  certainly  ratify  and  confirm  their  just 
judgment  upon  those  who  are  admitted  or  excluded. 
If  they  who  are  in  the  pale  of  the  kingdom  are  in  a  state 
of  salvation,  and  they  who  are  out  of  it  are  in  a  state 
of  condemnation,  the  action  of  those  who  have 
power  to  open  and  shut  its  doors,  cannot  be  looked 
upon  as  of  no  effect  in  their  final  destiny,  or  their 
present  spiritual  relation  and  condition." 

Is  not,  let  me  ask  the  candid,  earnest  Christian, 
(the  Christian  who  is  more  anxious  to  follow  the  truth 
and  save  his  soul,  than  to  sustain  &  party)  is  not  the 
principle  here  so  clearly,  and,  if  there  be  any  cer- 
tainty in  God's  word,  truly  stated,  as  applicable  to 
the  absolution  of  those,  who,  by  the  grievousness  of 


A  PASTORAL  LETTER.  31 

their  secret  sins,  cut  themselves  off  from  communion 
with  Christ,  as  it  is  to  the  absolution  of  such  as,  by 
their  open  and  discovered  offences,  have  been  cut 
off  by  Christ's  representative  ?  The  severance  of 
the  bond  of  union  with  Christ  is  as  real  in  the  one 
case  as  in  the  other,  "  Whoso  abideth  in  Him  sin- 
neth  not."  "If  we  say  we  have  fellowship  with  Him 
and  walk  in  darkness  we  lie,  and  do  not  the  truth." 
And  the  Church  says,  if  we  come  to  the  Holy  Com- 
munion with  grievous  sin  upon  us,  we  "  only  increase 
our  condemnation."  He  therefore  who  is  under  the 
power  of  such  sin,  however  secret,  is  as  effectually 
barred  from  all  communion  with  Christ,  as  he  whose 
sin,  by  having  been  found  out,  is  visited  upon  his 
head  in  visible  exclusion  from  the  grace  of  the  cov- 
enant.* The  case  of  the  latter  is  only  more  fearful 
in  its  placing  the  offender  in  a  more  hopeless  state, 
under  a  sentence  which  makes  it  more  difficult  for 
him  to  return — under  an  authoritative  curse.  Upon 
true  repentance,  however,  in  either  case,  union  with 
Christ  may  be  restored.  But  can  it  in  either  be  re- 
stored without  priestly  intervention  and  absolution  ? 
Surely  not,  if,  as  the  sermon  states,  and  states  scrip- 
turally,  God  has  constituted  His  ministry  the  agents 
or  instruments  of  this  mystical  union. 

2.  But  it  is  said — the  Church,  in  the  Exhortation 
to  the  Holy  Communion,  supposes  that  the  grievous 
sinner  may  safely  come  upon  mere  repentance.  "  Re- 
pent ye  of  your  sins,  or  else  come  not,  &c."  The  error 
here  lies,  I  think,  in  understanding  "repentance"  in 
a  restricted,  popular  sense;    and  not   in  the  sense  of 

*  That  the  primitive  Church  regarded  certain  sins,  as  of  themselves 
excommunicating  the  sinner,  is  not  doubtful.  "  A  person,"  says  Mr. 
Blackmore,  in  his  Antiquities, "  was  legally  convicted  in  three  ways :  1. 
By  his  own  confession.  2.  By  the  evidence  of  unexceptionable  witnesses. 
3.  By  such  notoriety  of  the  fact  as  made  a  man  liable  to  excommuni- 
cation ipso  facto,  without  any  further  process,  there  being  no  need  of  a 
formal  sentence,  for  they  stood  excommunicated  ipso  facto"—' Vol.  i. 
p.  307. 


32  A  PASTORAL  LETTER. 

the  Church.  "  Now  in  a  penitent's  or  convert's 
duty,''  says  Hooker,  "there  are  included, first,  the 
aversion  of  the  will  from  sin  ;  secondly,  the  submis- 
sion of  ourselves  to  God,  by  supplication  and  prayer  ; 
thirdly,  the  purpose  of  a  new  life,  testified  with  present 
works  of  amendment :  which  three  things  do  very 
well  seem  to  be  comprised  in  one  definition,  by  them 
which  handle  repentance,  as  a  virtue  that  hateth, 
bewaileth,  and  showeth  a  purpose  to  amend  sin.  We 
offend  God  in  thought,  word,  and  deed.  To  the  first 
of  which  three,  they  make  Contrition,  to  the  second 
Confession,  and  to  the  last  our  works  of  Satisfaction, 
answerable. 

3.  "  Contrition  doth  not  here  import  those  sudden 
pangs  and  convulsions  of  the  mind  which  cause 
sometimes  the  most  forsaken  of  God  to  retract  their 
own  doings  ;  it  is  no  natural  passion  or  anguish,  which 
riseth  in  us  against  our  wills,  but  a  deliberate  aver- 
sion of  the  will  of  man  from  sin ;  which  being  always 
accompanied  with  grief,  and  grief  oftentimes  partly 
with  tears,  partly  with  other  external  signs,  it  hath 
been  thought,  that  in  these  things  contrition  doth 
chiefly  consist."  "  Forasmuch  as  we  cannot  hate  sin 
in  ourselves  without  heaviness  and  grief,  that  there 
should  be  in  us  a  thing  of  such  hateful  quality,  the 
will  averted  from  sin  must  needs  make  the  affection 
suitable  ;  yea,  great  reason  why  it  should  so  do  ;  for 
sith  the  will  by  conceiving  sin  hath  deprived  the 
soul  of  life ;  and  of  life  there  is  no  recovery  without  re- 
pentance— the  death  of  sin;  repentance  not  able  to  kill 
sin  but  by  withdrawing  the  will  from  it ;  the  will  un- 
possible  to  be  withdrawn,  unless  it  concur  with  a  con- 
trary affection  to  that  which  accompanied  it  before 
in  evil :  is  it  not  clear,  that  as  an  inordinate  delight 
did  first  begin  sin,  so  repentance  must  begin  with  a 
just  sorrow,  a  sorrow  of  heart,  and  such  a  sorrow  as 
rendeth  the  heart,  neither  a  feigned  nor  a  slight  sor- 
row ;  not  feigned,  lest  it  increase  sin  ;  nor  slight,  lest 


A  PASTORAL  LETTER.  33 

the   pleasures  of  sin  overmatch  it."      "Of  the  first 
among  these  duties,  contrition, — let  this  suffice." 

4.  "  Although  the  virtue  of  repentance,*  do  require 
that  her  other  two  parts,  confession  and  satisfaction, 
should  here  follow,  yet  seeing  they  belong  as  well  to 
the  discipline  as  to  the  virtue  of  repentance,  and 
only  differ  for  that  in  the  one  they  are  performed 
to  man,  in  the  other  to  God  alone ;  I  had  rather 
distinguish  in  joint  handling,  than  handle  them 
apart/' 

Hooker  proceeds  to  give  his  judgment  "on  the 
discipline  of  repentance  as  instituted  by  Christ,  prac- 
tised by  the  Fathers,  converted  by  the  schoolmen 
into  a  Sacrament ;  and  of  confession ;  that  which  be- 
longeth  to  the  virtue  of  repentance,  that  which  was 
used  among  the  Jews,  that  which  the  Papacy  ima- 
gineth  a  Sacrament,  and  that  which  ancient  discip- 
line practiced."  I  shall  here  give  only  that  which 
has  respect  to  the  point  in  hand, — to  the  discipline  of 
repentance,  embracing  confession  and  satisfaction, 
as  instituted  by  Christ  and  received  and  practiced 
by  the  "  One  Catholic  and  Apostolic  Church,"  to  the 
judgment  of  which  we  are  bound  by  our  principles 
implicitly  to  defer. 

"  Our  Lord  and  Saviour,"  says  Hooker,  "  in  the 
16th  of  St.  Matthew's  Gospel,  giveth  His  Apostles 
regiment  in  general  over  God's  Church.  For  they 
that  have  the  keys  of  the  kingdom  of  heaven  are 
thereby  signified  to  be  stewards  of  the  house  of  God, 
under  whom  they  guide,  command,  judge  and  correct 
His  family.  The  souls  of  men  are  God's  treasure,  com- 
mitted to  the  trust  and  fidelity  of  such  as  must  render 
a  strict  account  for  the  very  least  which  is  under  their 
custody.  God  hath  not  invested  them  with  the  power 
to  make  a  revenue  thereof,  but  to  use  it  for  the  good 
of  them  whom  Jesus  Christ  hath  most  dearly  bought. 

*  The  author  had  in  the  previous  section  distinguished  repentance  into 
these  two  parts,  the  virtue  and  the  discipline  of  repentance. 


34  .     A  PASTORAL  LETTER. 

"And  because  their  office  herein  consisteth  of 
sundry  functions,  some  belonging  to  doctrine,  some 
to  discipline,  all  contained  in  the  name  of  the  keys ; 
they  have  for  matters  of  discipline,  as  well  litigious 
as  criminal,  their  courts  and  consistories  erect- 
ed by  the  heavenly  authority  of  His  most  sacred 
voice  who  hath  said,  Die  Ecclesice,  Tell  the  Church : 
against  rebellious  and  contumacious  persons  which 
refuse  to  obey  their  sentence,  armed  they  are  with 
power  to  eject  such  out  of  the  Church,  to  deprive 
them  of  the  honours,  rights,  and  privileges  of  Christian 
men,  to  make  them  as  heathen  and  publicans,  with 
whom  society  was  hateful. 

"  Furthermore,  lest  their  acts  should  be  slenderly 
accounted  of  or  had  in  contempt,  whether  they  admit 
to  the  fellowship  of  saints  or  seclude  from  it,  whether 
they  bind  offenders  or  set  them  at  liberty,  whether 
they  remit  or  retain  sins,  whatsoever  is  done  by  way 
of  orderly  and  lawful  proceeding,  the  Lord  Himself 
hath  promised  to  ratify.  This  is  that  grand,  original 
warrant,  by  force  whereof  the  guides  and  prelates  in 
God's  Chuxch,first  His  Apostles,  and  afterwards  others 
following  them  successively,  did  both  use  and  uphold 
that  discipline,  the  end  whereof  is  to  heal  men's  con- 
sciences, to  cure  their  sins,  to  reclaim  offenders 
from  iniquity,  and  to  make  them  by  repentance 
just." 

"Neither  hath  it  of  ancient  time  for  any  other 
respect  been  accustomed  to  bind  by  ecclesiastical 
censures,  to  retain  so  bound  till  tokens  of  manifest 
repentance  appeared,  and  upon  apparent  repentance 
to  release,  saving  only  because  this  was  received  as 
a  most  expedient  method  for  the  cure  of  sin. 

"  The  course  of  discipline  in  former  ages  reformed 
open  transgressors  by  putting  them  to  offices  of  open 
penitence  :  especially  confession,  whereby  they  de- 
clared their  own  crimes,  in  the  hearing  of  the  whole 
Church,  and  were  not  from  the  time  of  their  first 


A  PASTORAL  LETTER.  35 

convention  capable  of  the  holy  mysteries  of  Christ,  till 
they  had  solemnly  discharged  this  duty. 

5.  "  Offenders  in  secret,  knowing  themselves  alto- 
gether unworthy  to  he  admitted  to  the  Lord's  table,  as 
the  others  which  were  withheld,  being  also  persuaded, 
if  the  Church  did  direct  them  in  their  offices  of  pen- 
itency,  and  assist  them  with  public  prayer,  they  should 
more  easily  obtain  that  they  sought,  than  by  trusting 
wholly  to  their  own  endeavors ;  finally,  having  no 
impediment  to  stay  them  from  it  but  bashfulness, 
which  countervailed  not  the  former  inducements, 
and  besides,  was  greatly  eased  by  the  good  construc- 
tion which  the  charity  of  those  times  gave  to  such 
actions,  wherein  men's  piety  and  voluntary  care  to 
be  reconciled  to  God,  did  purchase  them  much  more 
love,  than  their  faults  (the  testimonies  of  common 
frailty)  were  able  to  procure  disgrace ;  they  made  it 
not  nice  to  use  some  one  of  the  ministers  of  God,  by 
whom  the  rest  might  take  notice  of  their  faults,  pre- 
scribe them  convenient  remedies,  and  in  the  end, 
after  public  confession,  all  join  in  prayer  unto  God 
for  them. 

"  The  first  beginning  of  this  custom  had  the 
more  followers,  by  means  of  that  special  favor  which 
always  was,  with  good  consideration,  showed  towards 
voluntary  penitents  above  the  rest.  But  as  profes- 
sors of  Christian  belief  grew  more  in  number,  so 
they  waxed  worse,  when  kings  and  princes  had  sub- 
mitted their  dominions  unto  the  sceptre  of  Jesus 
Christ,  by  means  whereof  persecution  ceasing,  the 
Church  immediately  became  subject  to  those  evils, 
which  peace  and  security  bring  forth ;  there  was 
not  now  that  love  which  before  kept  all  things  in 
tune,  but  everywhere  schisms,  discords,  dissensions 
amongst  men,  conventicles  of  heretics,  bent  more 
vehemently  against  the  sounder  and  better  sort  than 
very  infidels  and  heathens  themselves  ;  faults  not 
corrected  in   charity,  but    noted    with    delight,  and 


A  PASTORAL  LETTER. 


kept  for  malice  to  use  when  deadliest  opportunities 
should  be  offered.  Whereupon,  forasmuch  as  public 
confessions  became  dangerous  and  prejudicial  to  the 
safety  of  well-minded  men,  and  in  divers  respects 
advantageous  to  the  enemies  of  God's  Church,  it 
seemed  first  unto  some,  and  afterwards  generally,  re- 
quisite, that  voluntary  penitents  should  surcease  from 
open  confession.  Instead  whereof,  when  once  pri- 
vate and  secret  confession  had  taken  place  with  the 
Latins,  it  continued  as  a  profitable  ordinance  till  the 
Lateran  Council,"  a.  d.  1215.  Vol.  ii.  pp.  244-247. 
7.  Hooker,  after  arguing  that  the  Romish  Church 
departed  from  the  primitive  Church  in  erecting  auri- 
cular confession  into  a  sacrament,  and  making  it  ne- 
cessary unto  all  men  to  eternal  salvation,  proceeds  : — 
"Were  the  Fathers  then,  without  use  of  private 
confession  as  long  as  public  was  in  use  ?  /  affirm  no 
such  thing.  The  first  and  ancientest  that  mentioneth 
this  confession  is  Origen,*  by  whom  it  may  seem  that 


*  Wheatley  on  the  Common  Prayer,  set  forth  by  the  House  of 
Bishops,  lias  the  following  on  the  rubric,  in  the  Order  for  the  Visitation 
of  the  Sick.  "  The  sick  person  is  to  be  further  moved  to  make  special 
confession  of  his  sins,  if  he  feel  his  conscience  troubled  with  any 
matters;  i.  e.  I  suppose,  if  he  has  committed  any  sin  for  which  the  cen- 
sures of  the  Church  ought  to  be  inflicted  ;  (better  as  put  by  Bishop 
Sparrow — "  It  would  be  considered  whether  every  deadly  sin,  be  not  a 
weighty  matter  ;")  or  else  he  is  perplexed  concerning  the  nature  or  some 
nice  circumstances  of  his  crime.  It  was  upon  the  former  of  these  cases, 
that  private  confession  seems  at  first  to  have  been  appointed  ;  for,  in  the 
early  ages  of  the  Church,  when  the  public  humiliation  of  scandalous  of- 
fenders was  observed  to  be  attended  with  some  great  advantages,  many 
persons  of  zeal  would  not  only  rank  themselves  in  the  class  of  public 
penitents  for  sins  done  in  secret,  but  would  even  solemnly  confess  before 
the  congregation  the  particular  crime,  for  which  they  desired  to  make 
satisfaction,  by  submitting  to  penance.  Now,  though  it  was  fit  that 
what  had  been  openly  committed  in  the  face  of  the  world,  should  be 
openly  retracted,  that  so  the  scandal  might  be  removed  :  yet,  it  might 
often  happen,  that  in  the  ease  of  secret  sins,  it  would  be  better  that  the 
particulars  should  be  kept  concealed.  For  this  reason  a  penitentiary  or 
confessor  was  early  appointed  in  every  diocese,  to  whom  persons  in 
doubt  should  resort,  and  consult  with  him,  what,  on  the  one  hand,  might 
be  fit  for  publication,  and  what,  on  the  other,  would  better  be  kept  se- 


A  PASTORAL  LETTER.  37 

men,  being  loth  to  present  rashly  themselves  and 
their  faults  unto  the  view  of  the  whole  Church,  thought 
it  best,  first  to  unfold  their  minds  to  some  special 
man  of  the  clergy,  which  might  either  help  them  him- 
self, or  refer  them  to  a  higher  court,  if  need  were. 
'  Be,  therefore,  circumspect,'  saith  Origen,  '  in  mak- 
ing choice  of  the  party  to  whom  thou  meanest  to  con- 
fess thy  sin ;  know  thy  physician  before  thou  use  him  ; 
if  he  find  thy  malady  such  as  needeth  to  be  made 
public,  that  others  may  be  the  better  by  it,  and  thy- 
self sooner  helpt,  his  counsel  must  be  obeyed  and  fol- 
lowed/ 

"  That  which  moveth  sinners,"  continues  Hooker, 
"  thus  voluntarily  to  detect  themselves,  both  inprivate 
and  public,  was  fear  to  receive  with  other  christian 
men  the  mysteries  of  heavenly  grace,  till  God's  ap- 
pointed stewards  and ministers  did  judge  them  worthy. 
It  is  in  this  respect,  that  St.  Ambrose  findeth  fault 
with  certain  men  which  sought  imposition  of  pen- 
ance, and  were  not  willing  to  wait  their  time,  but 
would  presently  be  admitted  communicants.  '  Such 
people/  saith  he,  'do  seek  by  so  rash  and  preposter- 
ous desires,  rather  to  bring  the  priest  into  bonds 
than   to  loose  themselves/       In   this   respect   it  is, 

eret.  So  that,  though  public  penance  was  still  generally  assigned  for 
grievous  offences  that  were  privately  committed  ;  yet  the  persons  that 
confessed  did  not  always  make  a  public  declaration  of  the  fact  for  which 
they  appeared  in  the  rank  of  penitents.  This  is  the  best  conjecture 
we  are  able  to  make  concerning  the  rise  of  the  penitentiary's  office  ; 
though  we  have  some  footsteps  of  private  und  secret  confessions  before 
we  read  of  any  stated  confessor.  For  Origen,  who  liv#d  at  the  begin- 
ning of  the  third  century,  speaks  of  private  confessions  as  the  received 
usage  of  his  time,  and  only  advises  the  choice  of  a  person  that  was  fit 
to  be  trusted.  And  St.  Cyprian,  that  lived  much  about  the  same  time, 
commends  the  zeal  of  those  who  laid  open  even  their  thoughts  and  in- 
tentions of  offering  sacrifices  to  idols  (though  they  had  not  yet  proceed- 
ed to  the  fact,)  with  grief  and  sincerity,  before  the  priest.  And  much 
the  same  advice  is  given  by  others,  who  mention  private  confession  as 
a  general  and  Well  known  practice,  and  only  caution  the  penitents  to 
choose  such  persona  to  consult  with,  as  will  be  careful  and  tender  of 
their  reputation  and  safety." — P.  427. 
2* 


38  A  PASTORAL  LETTER. 

that  St.  Augustine  hath  likewise  said,  'when  the 
wound  of  sin  is  so  wide,  and  the  disease  so  far 
gone,  that  the  medicinable  body  and  blood  of  our 
Lord  may  not  be  touched,  men  are,  by  the  bishop's 
authority,  to  sequester  themselves  from  the  altar,  till 
such  times  as  they  have  repented,  and  be  after  re- 
conciled by  the  same  authority/" 

"  Furthermore,"  says  Hooker,  "because  the  know- 
ledge how  to  handle  our  own  sores  is  no  common  and 
vulgar  art,  but  we  either  carry  towards  ourselves,  for 
the  most  part,  an  over  soft  and  gentle  hand,  fearful  of 
touching  too  near  the  quick,  or  else  endeavoring  not  to 
be  partial,  we  fall  into  timorous  scrupulosities,  and 
sometimes  into  those  extreme  discomforts  of  mind, 
from  which  we  do  hardly  ever  lift  up  our  heads  again  ; 
men  thought  it  the  safest  way  to  disclose  their  secret 
faults,  and  to  crave  imposition  of  penance  from  them 
whom  our  Lord  Jesus  Christ  hath  left  in  his  Church  to 
he  spiritual  and  ghostly physicians,  the  guides  and  pas- 
tors of  redeemed  souls,  whose  office  doth  not  only 
consist  in  general  persuasions  unto  newness  of  life, 
but  also  in  the  private  particular  cure  of  diseased 
minds. 

"  However  the  Novatianists  presume  to  plead 
against  the  Church,  saith  Salvianus,  that  every 
man  ought  to  be  his  own  penitentiary,  and  that  it  is 
apart  of  our  duty  to  exercise,  but  not  of  the  Church's, 
authority  to  impose  or  prescribe  repentance ;"  "  the 
truth  is  otherwise,"  saith  Hooker;  "the  best  and 
strongest  of  us  may  Deed,  in  such  cases,  direction.* 
What  doth  the  Church,  in  giving  penance,  but  show 
the  remedies  which  sin  requireth  ?  or  what  do  we, 
in  receiving  the  same,  but  fulfil  her  precepts  ?  What 
else  but  sue  unto  God  with  tears  and  fasts,  that  his 
merciful  ears  may  be  opened  ?     St.   Augustine's  ex- 


*  Here  Hooker  would  perhaps  remind  us  of  the  fact,  presented  in 
his  memoirs,  that  lie  not  only  aeted  as  a  confe&sor  himself,  brat  con- 
stantly resorted  to  one  for  spiritual  directions. 


T 

- 


A  PASTORAL  LETTER.  39 

hortation  is  directly  to  the  same  purpose  :  '  Let  every 
man  while  he  hath  time,  judge  himself,  and  change  his 
life  of  his  own  accord,  and  when  this  is  resolved 
upon,  let  him,  from  the  disposers  of  the  Holy  Sacra- 
ments, learn  in  what  manner  he  is  to  pacify  God's 
displeasure." 

Having  given  another  reason  why  men  of  the 
Primitive  Church  were  forward  and  willing,  upon 
their  knees,  to  confess  whatever  they  had  commit- 
ted against  God,  he  concludes  with  a  passage  from 
Gregory  of  Nyssa — "Make  the  priest  as  a  father, 
partaker  of  thy  affliction  and  grief.  Be  bold  to  im- 
part unto  him  the  things  that  are  most  secret ;  he 
will  have  care  both  of  thy  safety  and  of  thy  credit/' 
Vol.  ii.  pp.  259—261. 

Let  such  persons  as  deny  that  private  volun- 
tary confession  and  penitence  were  general  in  the 
primitive  Church,  note  the  following  passage,  in 
which  Hooker  settles  this  question.  "  As  for  noto- 
rious, wicked  persons,  whose  crimes  were  known, 
to  convert,  judge,  or  punish  them,  was  the  office  of 
the  Ecclesiastical  Consistory ;  Penitentiaries  had 
their  institution  to  another  end.  Now,  unless  we 
imagine  that  the  ancient  time  knew  no  other  repent- 
ance than  public,  or  that  they  had  little  occasion  to 
speak  of  any  other  repentance,  or  else  in  speaking 
thereof,  they  used  some  other  name,  and  not  the 
name  of  repentance,  whereby  to  express  private 
penitency ;  how  standeth  it  with  reason,  that  where- 
soever they  write  of  penitents,  it  should  be  thought 
they  meant  only  public  penitents  ?  The  truth  is, 
they  handled  all  three  kinds,  but  private  voluntary 
much  oftener,  as  being  of  far  more  general  use ; 
whereas  public  was  but  incident  unto  few,  and  not 
oftener  than  once  incident  unto  any.  Howbeit,  be- 
cause they  do  not  distinguish  one  kind  of  penitency 
from  another  by  difference  of  names,  our  safest  way 
for  construction  is,  to  follow  circumstance  of  matter, 
which  in  this  narration  will  not  yield  itself  applicable 


40  A  PASTORAL  LETTER. 

only  unto  public  penance,  do  what  they  can  who  thus 
expound  it. 

"  They  boldly  and  confidently  affirm,  that  no  man 
being  compellable  to  confess  publicly  any  sin  before 
Novatian's  time,  the  end  of  instituting  %  peniten- 
tiaries afterwards  in  the  Church  was,  that  by  them 
men  might  be  constrained  to  public  confession.  Is 
there  any  record  in  the  world  which  doth  testify 
this  to  be  true  ?  There  is  that  testifieth  to  the  plain 
contrary.  For  Sozomen,  declaring  purposely  the 
cause  of  their  institution,  saith — '  That  whereas  men 
openly  craving  pardon  at  God's  hands,  (for  public  con- 
fession, the  last  act  of  penitency,  was  always  made  in 
the  form  of  a  contrite  prayer  unto  God,)  it  could  not  be 
avoided  that  they  must  withal  confess  what  their  of- 
fences were  ;  this,  in  the  opinion  of  their  prelates,  seem- 
ed from  the  first  beginning  (as  we  may  probably  think) 
to  be  somewhat  burdensome' ;  "  not  burdensome,  I 
think,"  says  Hooker,  "  to  notorious  offenders  ;  for 
what  more  just  than  in  such  sort  to  discipline  them  ? 
but  burdensome,  that  men  whose  crimes  were  un- 
known, should  blaze  their  own  faults,  as  it  were  on 
a  stage,  acquainting  all  the  people  with  whatsoever 
they  had  done  amiss.  And  therefore,  to  remedy, 
this  inconvenience,  they  laid  the  charge  upon  one  only 
Priest,  chosen  out  of  such  as  were  of  best  conversa- 
tion, a  silent  and  discreet  man,  to  whom,  they  which 
had  offended,  might  resort  and  lay  open  their  lives. 
He,  according  to  the  quality  of  every  one's  trans- 
gressions, appointed  what  they  should  do  or  suffer, 
and  left  them  to  execute  it  upon  themselves.  Can 
we  wish  a  more  direct  and  evident  testimony,  that 
the  office  here  spoken  of  was  to  save  voluntary  peni- 
tents from  the  burden  of  public  confession,  and  not  to 
constrain  notorious  offenders  thereunto  ?"  p.  268,  &c. 

This  is  sufficient  to  show  that  Hooker  not  only 
admitted,  but  defended  the  practice  of  voluntary  pri- 
vate confession,  in  the  purest  and  most  catholic  days 
of  the  primitive  Church. 


A  PASTORAL  LETTER.  41 

7.  "  The  Church  of  England,"  says  Wheatly,  on 
Common  Prayer,  p.  428,  "  at  the  Reformation,  in  the 
particular  now  before  us,  freed  it  from  all  the  en- 
croachments with  which  the  Church  of  Rome  had 
embarrassed  it,  and  reduced  confession  to  its  primi- 
tive plan.  She  neither  calls  it  a  sacrament,  nor  re- 
quires it  to  be  used  as  universally  necessary;  but 
because  it  is  requisite  that  no  man  should  come  to  the 
Holy  Communion,  but  with  a  full  trust  in  God's  mercy, 
and  with  a  quiet  conscience ;  she  therefore  advises, 
that  if  there  be  any  who  is  not  able  to  quiet  his  own 
conscience,  but  requireth  further  comfort  or  counsel,  he 
should  come  to  his  own,  or  some  other  discreet  and 
learned  minister  of  God's  word,  and  open  his  griefs 
that  by  the  ministry  of  God's  Holy  Word,  he  may  receive 
the  benefit  of  absolution,  together  with  ghostly  counsel 
and  advice,  to  the  quieting  of  his  conscience,  and  avoid- 
ing all  scruples  and  doubtfulness.  Here  we  see  there 
is  nothing  arbitrarily  prescribed,  but  every  one  is 
left  to  his  own  discretion.  All  that  was  absolutely 
enjoined,  was  only  a  mutual  forbearance  and  peace* 
for  the  security  of  which,  a  clause  was  added  in  the 
First  Book  of  King  Edward,  requiring  such  as  shall 
be  satisfied  with  a  general  confession,  not  to  be  offended 
with  them  that  do  use  to  their  further  satisfying,  the 
auricular  and  secret  confession  to  a  priest.  Nor  those, 
also,  who  think  needful  and  convenient,  for  the  quiet* 
ness  of  their  own  conscience,  particularly  to  open  their 
sins  to  the  priest,  to  be  offended  with  them  that  are  sat- 
isfied with  their  humble  confessions  to  God,  and  the 
general  confession  to  the  Church.  But  in  all  things 
to  follow  and  keep  the  rule  of  charity  ;  and  every  man 
to  be  satisfied  with  his  own  conscience,  not  judging 
other  mens'  minds  or  consciences  ;  whereas  he  hath 
no  warrant  of  God's  word  to  the  same.  What  could 
have  been  added  more  judiciously  than  this  to  tem- 
per, on  the  one  hand,  the  rigors  of  those  who  were 
too  apt,  at  that  time,  to  insist  upon  confession  as 


4£  A  PASTORAL  LETTER. 

absolutely  necessary  to  salvation  ;  and  to  prevent,  on 
the  other  hand,  a  carelessness  in  those  who,  being 
prejudiced  against  the  abuse*  were  apt,  indiscrimi- 
nately, to  reject  the  thing,  as  at  no  time  needful  or  useful 
to  a  penitent !  So  that  we  may  still,  I  presume,  wish 
very  consistently  with  the  determination  of  our 
Church,  that  our  people  would  apply  themselves, 
oftener  than  they  do,  to  the  spiritual  physicians, 
even  in  time  of  their  health :  since  it  is  much  to  be 

FEARED  THAT  THEY  ARE  WOUNDED  OFTENER  THAN 
THEY  COMPLAIN,  AND  YET  THROUGH  AVERSION  TO  DIS- 
CLOSING THEIR  SORE,  SUFFER  IT  TO  GANGRENE,  FOR 
WANT  OF  THEIR  HELP  WHO  SHOULD  WORK  THE  CURE. 

"  But  present  ease  is  not  the  only  benefit  the 
penitent  may  expect  from  the  confessor's  aid  ;  he 
will  be  better  assisted  in  the  regulation  of  his  life ; 
and  when  his  last  conflict  shall  make  its  approach, 
the  holy  man  being  no  stranger  to  the  state  of  his 
soul,  will  be  better  prepared  to  guide  and  conduct 
it  through  all  difficulties  that  may  oppose.  Though 
our  Church  leaves  it,  in  a  manner,  to  any  one's  dis- 
cretion, in  the  time  of  health,  whether  they  will  be 
satisfied  with  a  general  confession  to  God  and  the 
Church  ;  yet  when  they  are  sick,  she  thinks  it  proper 
that  they  be  moved  to  make  a  special  confession  of 
their  sins  to  the  priest,  if  they  feel  their  consciences 
troubled  with  any  weighty  matter.  For  how  will  he 
be  able  to  satisfy  their  doubts,  if  he  be  not  let  into  the 
particulars  of  their  case  ?-\  Or  with  what  assurance 
can  he  absolve  them,  or  admit  them  to  the  peace 


*  "  How  far,"  says  Wheatly,  "  this  (auricular  confession)  came 
afterwards  to  be  abused,  is  too  well  known  to  need  any  proof:  but  no 
argument  sure  can  be  drawn,  that  because  a  practice  has  been  abused, 
it  should  therefore  cease  to  be  used.  The  abuses  of  it  should  be  reform- 
ed, bui  not.  the  practice  of  it  discontinue d."  P.  428  on  B.  C.  P. 
« .j  f  How  can  the  priest  do  this — solve  their  doubts — any  more  effect- 
ually, without  knowing  "  the  particulars  of  their  case," .  when  they 
are  in  health,  than  when  they  are  sick  ? 


A  PASTORAL  LETTER;  43 

and  communion  of  the  Church,  before  he  is  apprised 
how  far  they  have  deserved  its  censure  and  bonds  ? 
If,  therefore,  they  are  desirous  of  the  following  con- 
solations/' (their  absolution)  "  which  the  Church  hath 
provided  for  their  quiet  and  ease,  it  is  fit  they  should 
first  declare  and  make  known  what  burden  it  is,  from 
which  they  want  to  be  freed."  P.  430. 

Thus  far  have  I  exhibited  from  Hooker  and 
Wheatly  what,  after  careful  examination,  seemed  to 
me  to  be  the  true  history  of  auricular  or  private  con- 
fession, as  held  and  practiced  by  the  primitive 
Church,  and  as  held  and  intended  to  be  practiced  by 
our  own.  But  as  I  have  considered  confession  thus 
far  as  inseparable  from  absolution,  I  shall  defer  any 
further  remarks  on  the  former  till  I  return  to  the  lat- 
ter, which  I  propose  to  do,  after  citing  something 
more  from  Hooker  on  the  third  part  of  repentance, 
viz.,  satisfaction. 

8.  "  There  resteth  now  only  satisfaction  to  be  con^ 
sidered,  a  point  which  the  Fathers  do  often  touch. 
And  it  is  happy  for  the  Church  of  God,  that  we  have 
the  writings  of  the  Fathers  to  show  what  their 
meaning  was.  The  name  of  Satisfaction,  as  the 
ancient  Fathers  meant  it,  containeth  whatever  a 
penitent  should  do,  in  the  humbling  himself  unto 
God,  and  testifying  by  deeds  of  contrition  the  same 
which  confession  in  words  pretendeth."  He  proceeds 
to  illustrate  this  view  by  citations  from  the  Fathers, 
The  following  he  adduces  from  St.  Cyprian :  "  We 
feel,"  says  that  Father,  "the  bitter  smart  of  his  rod 
and  scourge,  because  there  is  in  us  neither  care  to 
please  Him  with  our  good  deeds,  nor  to  satisfy  Him 
for  our  evil."  Again,  "  let  the  eyes  which  have 
looked  on  idols  sponge  out  their  unlawful  acts  with 
those  sorrowful  tears,  which  have  power  to  satisfy 
God."  He  gives  the  following  from  St.  Augustine  : 
"  Three  things  there  are  in  perfect  penitency,  com- 
punction, confession,  and  satisfaction ;    that    as    we 


44  A  PASTORAL  LETTER. 

three  ways  offend  God,  viz.,  in  heart,  word  and  deed, 
so  by  three  duties  we  may  satisfy  God." 

"  Satisfaction  as  a  part,"  continues  Hooker, 
"  comprehendeth  only  that  which  the  Baptist  meant 
by  works  worthy  of  repentance  ;  and  if  we  speak  of 
the  whole  work  of  repentance  itself,  we  may,  in  the 
phrase  of  antiquity,  term  it  very  well  satisfaction. 

"  Satisfaction  is  a  work  which  justice  requireth 
to  be  done  for  contentment  of  persons  injured  ;  nei- 
ther is  it  a  sufficient  satisfaction  unless  it  fully  equal 
the  injury  for  which  we  satisfy.  Seeing  then  that 
sin  against  God,  eternal  and  infinite,  must  needs  be 
an  infinite  wrong ;  justice  in  regard  thereof  doth  ne* 
cessarily  exact  an  infinite  recompense,  or  else  inflict 
upon  the  offender  infinite  punishment.  Now,  be* 
cause  God  was  thus  to  be  satisfied,  and  man  not 
able  to  make  satisfaction  in  such  sort,  His  unspeaka- 
ble love  and  inclination  to  save  mankind,  ordained 
in  our  behalf  a  Mediator,  to  do  that  which  had  been 
to  any  other  impossible.  Wherefore,  all  sin  is  re- 
mitted in  the  only  faith  of  Christ's  passion,  and  no 
man  without  belief  thereof  justified.  For  inasmuch  as 
God  will  have  the  benefit  of  Christ's  satisfaction 
both  thankfully  acknowledged  and  duly  esteemed  of 
all  such  as  enjoy  the  same,  He  therefore  imparteth 
so  high  a  treasure  to  no  man  whose  faith  hath  not 
made  him  willing  by  repentance  to  do  even  that, 
which  of  itself,  how  unavailable  soever,  yet  being 
required  and  accepted  with  God,  we  are  in  Christ 
made  thereby  capable  and  fit  vessels  to  receive  the 
fruit  of  His  satisfaction  :  yea,  we  so  far  please  and 
content  God,  that  because  when  we  have  offended  He 
looketh  but  for  repentance  at  our  hands,  our  repen- 
tance and  the  works  thereof  are  therefore  termed 
satisfactory."     P.  281. 

"  Repentance  is  a  name  which  noteth  the  habit  and 
operation  of  a  certain  grace  or  virtue  in  us  ;  satis- 
faction the  effect  which  it  hath  either  with  God  or  man. 


SA  PASTORAL  LETTER.  45 

And  it  is  not  in  this  respect  said  amiss,  that  satis- 
faction importeth  acceptation,  reconciliation,  and 
amity,  because  that,  though  satisfaction  on  the  one 
part  made,  and  allowed  on  the  other,  they  which  be- 
fore did  reject  are  now  content  to  receive,  they  to 
be  born  again  which  were  lost,  and  they  to  love 
unto  whom  just  cause  of  hatred  was  given.  It  is 
therefore  true,  that  our  Lord  Jesus  Christ,  by  one 
most  precious  and  propitiatory  sacrifice,  which  was 
His  body,  a  gift  of  infinite  worth,  offered  for  the  sins 
of  the  whole  world,  hath  thereby  once  reconciled  us 
to  God,  purchased  his  general  free  pardon,  and 
turned  away  divine  indignation  from  mankind.  But 
we  are  not  for  that  cause  to  think  any  office  of  peni- 
tence either  needless  or  fruitless  on  our  own  behalf; 
for  then  would  not  God  have  required  any  such  du- 
ties at  our  hands.  Christ  doth  remain  everlast- 
ingly a  gracious  intercessor,  even  for  every  particu- 
lar penitent.  Let  this  assure  us,  that  God,  how 
highly  soever  displeased  and  incensed  with  our  sins, 
is,  notwithstanding,  for  His  sake,  by  our  tears  paci-* 
fied,  taking  that  for  satisfaction  which  is  done  by  us, 
because  Christ  hath,  by  His  satisfaction,  made  it  ac- 
ceptable. For,  as  He  is  the  High  Priest  of  our  Sal- 
vation, so  He  hath  made  us  priests  likewise  under 
Him,  to  the  end  we  might  offer  unto  God  praise  and 
thankfulness  while  we  continue  in  the  way  of  life, 
and  when  we  sin,  the  satisfaction  and  propitiatory 
sacrifice  of  a  broken  and  contrite  heart."     P.  282. 

"  Amongst  the  works  of  satisfaction,  the  most  res- 
pected have  been  always  these  three :  Prayers,  Fasts, 
and  Alms-deeds.  By  prayer  we  lift  up  our  souls  to 
Him  from  whom  sin  and  iniquity  hath  withdrawn 
them ;  by  fasting  we  reduce  the  body  from  thraldom 
under  vain  delights,  and  make  it  serviceable  for 
parts  of  virtuous  conversation  ;  by  alms  we  dedicate  to 
charity  those  worldly  goods  and  possessions  which  un- 
righteousness doth  neither  get  nor  bestow  well.     The 


46  A  PASTORAL  LETTER. 

first  a  token  of  piety  intended  towards  God ;  the  se- 
cond a  pledge  of  moderation  and  sobriety  in  the 
carriage  of  our  own  persons  ;  the  last  a  testimony 
of  our  meaning  to  do  good  unto  all  men.  In  which 
three,  the  apostle,  by  way  of  abridgment,  compre- 
hendeth  whatever  may  appertain  to  sanctimony, 
holiness,  and  good  life :  as  contrariwise  the  very 
mass  of  general  corruption  throughout  the  world, 
what  is  it  but  only  forgetfulness  of  God,  carnal  plea- 
sure, and  immoderate  desire  after  worldly  things ; 
profaneness,  licentiousness,  covetousness. 

"  All  offices  of  repentance  have  these  two  pro- 
perties :  there  is  in  performance  of  them  painfulness, 
and  in  their  nature  a  contrariety  to  sin.  The  one 
consideration  causeth  them,  both  in  Holy  Scripture 
and  elsewhere,  to  be  termed  judgments,  or  revenges 
taken  voluntarily  upon  ourselves,  and  to  be  further- 
more preservatives  from  future  evils;  inasmuch  as 
we  commonly  use  to  keep  with  the  greater  care  that 
which  with  pain  we  have  recovered.  And  they  are 
in  the  other  respect  contrary  to  sin  committed ;  con- 
trition contrary  to  the  pleasure ;  confession  to  the 
error,  which  is  a  mother  of  sin  ;  and  to  the  deeds 
of  sin,  the  works  of  satisfaction  contrary ;  therefore 
they  all  are  the  more  effectual  to  cure  the  evil  habit 
thereof.  Hereunto  it  was  that  St.  Cyprian  referred 
his  earnest  and  vehement  exhortations,  '  That  they 
which  had  fallen  should  be  instant  in  prayer,  reject 
bodily  ornaments  when  once  they  had  stripped  them- 
selves of  Christ's  attire  ;  abhor  all  food  after  Satan's 
morsels  tasted ;  follow  works  of  righteousness  which 
work  away  sin ;  and  be  plentiful  in  almsdeeds, 
wherewith  souls  are  delivered  from  death.'  Not,  as 
if  God  did,  according  to  corrupt  judges,  take  so  much 
money  to  abate  so  much  in  the  punishment  of  male- 
factors. '  These  duties,'  saith  Salvianus,  '  must  be 
offered  not  in  confidence  to  redeem  or  buy  out  sin, 
but  as  tokens  of  meek  submission ;  neither  are  they 


A  PASTORAL  LETTER.  47 


with  God  accepted,  because  of  their  value,  but  for 
the  affection's  sake,  which  doth  thereby  show  itself." 
P.  287. 

Hooker  proceeds  to  show  that  satisfaction  demands, 
when  sins  have  been  forgiven  against  men,  full  resti- 
tution, to  the  extent  of  our  power ;  and  that  it  fur- 
thermore demands,  when  the  Church,  in  the  exercise 
of  her  lawful  authority,  imposes  upon  grievous  sin- 
ners any  penance,  a  strict  compliance  with  it,  in 
order  to  be  restored  to  God's  favor.  As  upon  these 
points,  however,  I  have  no  need  to  enlarge,  I  will 
conclude  this  discussion  of  repentance  in  its  three 
parts  : — contrition,  confession,  and  satisfaction,  with 
the  remark,  that  when  the  Church  in  her  Exhortation, 
calls  upon  men  to  ■"  repent  or  not  come  to  the  Holy 
Communion,"  she  means  repentance  to  be  understood 
in  this  extended  sense  :  confession  being  considered 
either  as  made  publicly  in  the  Church,  or  as  made 
privately  to  God  through  the  priesthood.  Hence,  I 
infer,  that  she  did  not  intend  in  this  Exhortation,  to 
encourage  the  idea,  that  the  sinner  who,  by  the 
grievousness  of  his  sin,  had  separated  himself  from 
communion  with  Christ,  might,  nevertheless,  by  the 
mere  "  virtue  of  repentance,"  without  priestly  abso- 
lution, be  restored  to  his  fellowship.  In  this  infer- 
ence, too,  I  shall  be  strengthened  by  the  considera- 
tion, that  the  Church  admits  no  one  to  the  blessed  sa- 
crament without  confession  and  absolution. 

9.  Now,  the  forms  of  absolution  in  the  Church 
from  the  beginning  have  been  various,  but  her  inten- 
tion has  been  one,  viz. :  to  convey  pardon  from  God 
through  the  Priest,  to  the  truly  penitent.  In  regard 
to  our  own  form  in  the  daily  service,  the  following  is 
pertinent  and  sound : — "  That  form  of  absolution," 
says  Mr.  Curtis,  "  is  entitled  a  Declaration  of  Ab- 
solution ;  and  from  hence,  some  have  inferred  that 
the  absolution  was  not  actual.  But  the  term  decla- 
ration has  reference  merely  to  the  formal  act,  and 


48  A  PASTORAL   LETTER 

by  no  means  excludes  its  effect.  The  authorative 
publication  of  pardon  from  a  sovereign  is  formally 
a  declarative  act,  and  as  such  may  be  called  a  decla- 
ration of  pardon ;  but  the  terms  of  the  instrument, 
and  the  authority  to  promulgate,  render  it  effectual 
to  all  the  purposes  therein  specified.  When  it  is 
said,  "Almighty  God  hath  given  power  and  com- 
mandment to  His  ministers  to  declare  and  pronounce 
to  His  people,  being  penitent,  the  absolution  and  re- 
mission of  their  sins,"  we  can  hardly  suppose  that 
such  language  is  used  to  usher  in  an  act  merely  for- 
mal, inefficient  and  powerless.  Where  an  authorized 
agent  is  commissioned  to  declare  and  pronounce 
anything,  it  would  be  a  solemn  farce  if  all  the  effects 
enunciated  did  not  actually  follow.  The  effect,  may, 
indeed,  be  limited  by  the  presence  of  conditions,  but 
this  does  not  detract  from  an  authoritative  assurance 
and  actual  collation  of  benefits  to  all  who  have  com- 
plied with  them.  The  meaning  which  some  would 
derive  from  our  form  is  the  same  as  if  it  read — a 
declaration  of  the  terms  of  absolution.  But,  if  the 
title  actually  read  thus,  it  would  not  be  a  true  enun- 
ciation of  the  act,  for  the  form  evidently  contains 
more  than  that.  The  terms  (repentance)  are,  indeed, 
enunciated ;  but  only  as  the  condition  upon  which 
an  actual  absolution  may  be  pronounced.  What 
is  that  power  which  is  said  to  be  given  by  Al- 
mighty God  to  His  ministers  ?  Is  it  a  power  merely 
to  say,  that  God  pardons  the  sins  of  the  penitent? 
This  is  a  natural  power  possessed  by  all  who  have 
the  faculty  of  speech  and  know  the  revelations  of 
the  Gospel,  (certainly  by  deacons  who  are  authorized 
to  preach,  but  forbidden  to  pronounce  this  absolu- 
tion,) and  would  hardly  demand  the  solemn  enun- 
ciation contained  in  the  form  of  absolution.  So 
far  from  this  being  its  import,  it  is  expressly  stated, 
that  the  minister  does  by  divine  authority,  both 
declare  and  pronounce  absolution  and  remission,  tyc, 


A  PASTORAL  LETTER.  49 

declares  and  pronounces  the  sins  of  the  penitent  ac- 
tually absolved  and  remitted.  Finally,  in  the  En- 
glish Liturgy,  it  is  not  entitled  'a  Declaration  of 
Absolution  ;'  but  •  The  Absolution,  or  Remission  of 
sins ;'  which  fully  shows  the  meaning  intended  by 
the  form/'     P.  29. 

Besides,  the  form  in  the  English  book,  in  "  the 
Order  for  the  Visitation  of  the  Sick,"  shows,  conclu- 
sively, what  the  mind  of  our  branch  of  the  Church  is 
on  the  effect  of  priestly  absolution.  The  form  is  as  fol- 
lows : 

"  Our  Lord  Jesus  Christ,  who  hath  left  power  to 
his  Church  to  absolve  all  sinners,  who  truly  repent 
and  believe  in  him,  of  his  great  mercy  forgive  thee 
thine  offences  ;  and  by  his  authority  committed  to  me, 
I  absolve  thee  from  all  thy  sins,  in  the  name  of  the 
Father,  and  of  the  Son,  and  of  the  Holy  Ghost." 

Now  what  can  show  more  strongly  than  this,  that 
the  Church  believes,  and  hence  that  we  as  her  faithful 
children  believe,  that  the  priests,  when  they  pro- 
nounce these  words  over  the  truly  penitent,  do  con- 
vey really  and  directly  God's  pardon  to  their  con- 
sciences, for  all  their  sins  and  offences  committed 
against  him  ?  I  know  an  attempt  has  been  made  by 
some,  and  among  them,  no  less  a  ritualist  than  Dr. 
Wheatly,  to  limit  this  absolution  to  Church  censures. 
But  surely  nothing  short  of  the  most  inveterate  and 
blinding  attachment  to  theory  could  have  led  to  such 
an  interpretation.  For  when  we  examine  the  rubrics, 
and  observe  that  all  sick  persons  visited  are  to  be 
moved  to  "a  special  confession  of  their  sins,"  and 
hence  all,  "  if  they  heartily  desire  it,"  must  be  ab- 
solved by  the  priest  in  this  form  ;  and  when  we  con- 
sider too,  that  this  is  the  form  prescribed  in  the  Book 
of  Edward  VI,  to  be  used  for  all  penitents,  (well  or 
sick,)  privately  confessing  their  sins  unto  the  priest ; 
we  cannot  doubt,  that  in  the  mind  of  the  reformed 
Church  in  England  the  priest,  in  pronouncing  abso- 


50  A  PASTORAL  LETTER. 

lution  to  "  all  those  who  with  hearty  repentance  and 
true  faith,  turn  unto  God,"  does,  as  Christ's  represen- 
tative or  instrument,  (acting  by  His  power  and  au- 
thority,) actually  convey  His  pardon  to  their  souls. 
This  then  being  the  Church's  mind,  it  matters  little 
whether  her  "  ministers  are  to  be  understood  as  pray- 
ing or  preaching,  judging  or  declaring  " — seeing  their 
instrumentality  is  employed  by  the  Most  High  in  be- 
stowing on  penitent  believers  the  gift  of  pardon. 

Although  I  have  chosen  to  rely,  mainly,  in  estab- 
lishing this  point,  upon  the  Church  herself,  to  call  her 
up  to  testify  to  her  own  gifts ;  yet  it  is  right  to  sum- 
mon her  faithful  sons,  "who  have  finished  their 
course  in  faith,"  to  add  their  witness  ;  but  I  have 
space  only  for  a  mere  allusion,  and  I  will  make  it  in 
the  language  of  the  ablest  Church  periodical  of  our 
day.  "  Cosin,  Sparrow,  Overal,  Comber,  and  all  our 
great  canonists,  have  ever  declared  with  one  voice, 
that  in  her  absolutions  the  Church  acts  with  a  real 
power,  truly  dispensing  to  the  faithful  and  penitent 
that  gift  of  pardon,  of  which  it  has  pleased  her  Father 
above  to  appoint  her  to  be  the  channel.  And  this," 
continues  the  same  writer,  "  becomes  still  more  clear, 
if  from  the  consideration  of  individual  expressions, 
we  mount  to  the  general  principles  of  her  office  towards 
men.  For  the  Church  is  the  revealed  line  of  God's 
action  on  that  work  of  re-creation  in  which  it  has 
pleased  him  to  labor.  She  is  the  appointed  channel, 
the  living  law,  through  which  the  Mediator,  who  was 
once  visible  among  men,  is  spiritually  present.  Her 
ordinances,  therefore,  are  all  replete  with  life;  her 
voice  is  the  utterance  of  God's  oracles,  and  her  chil- 
dren are  bound  by  true  reason  to  the  Most  High. 
When  he  took  our  nature  in  the  Virgin's  womb,  there 
commenced  that  mysterious  work,  of  which  every 
sacrament,  and  every  declaration  of  God's  forgive- 
ness, is  a  consequence.  In  this  work  he  is  the  sole 
original  agent.    He  delegates  to  no  man  an  indepen- 


A  PASTORAL  LETTER.  51 

dent  authority.  He  himself  cleanses,  feeds,  forgives, 
accepts  the  sinner.  His  ministers  cannot  exclude 
their  chief,  or  occupy  any  separate  position."  When 
they  absolve,  they  act  in  his  place,  pronounce  by  his 
authority,  and  impart  his  grace. # 

10.  While,  therefore,  private  confession  is  not  re- 
garded by  our  branch  of  the  One  Catholic  Church, 
"  as  generally  necessary  to  salvation,"  and  hence,  as 
in  the  primitive  Church,  is  left  to  the  voluntary  action 
of  individuals  under  contrition,  moving  them  thereto  ; 
yet  as  priestly  absolution  from  all  deadly  sin,  after 
baptism,  is  regarded  necessary,  it  becomes  a  ques- 
tion for  each  one  to  determine,  how  far  the  effects  of 
such  absolution  may  or  may  not  depend  upon  this 
kind  of  confession.  What  the  Church  has  not  enjoined 
as  necessary,  may  become  so,  however,  by  the  moral 
state  of  individuals.  What  is  not  imposed  as  a  condi- 
tion, may  be,  in  certain  cases,  required  as  a  means. 
Confirmation  is  not  imposed  as  a  necessary  condition 
of  salvation ;  and  yet  sinful  men  may  be  in  a  state, 
requiring  the  grace  of  confirmation  to  ensure  their 
perseverance  in  the  life  of  faith.  Absolution  not  on- 
ly confers  grace,  but  exacts  conditions,  and  implies, 
more  or  less,  priestly  judgment.  The  conditions  are 
comprised  in  the  single  term,  repentance ;  one  part 
of  which,  however,  as  we  ha've  seen,  is  confession. 
To  ensure  the  effect  of  absolution,  this  confession  (1) 
must  embrace  sin  that  separates  the  soul  from  com- 
munion with  Christ.  St.  Chrysostom,  as  quoted  with 
approbation,  by  Hooker,  says,  "  To  call  ourselves  sin- 
ners availeth  nothing,  except  as  we  lay  our  faults  in 
the  balance  and  take  the  weight  of  them  one  by 
one."  (2.)  Again,  our  confession  must  have  in  it 
both  the  number  and  right  conception  of  sins,  in  or- 
der to  bring  the  soul  into  a  state  of  remission.  "  A 
general   persuasion,"   continues  Chrysostom   in    the 

*  See  note  at  the  end  of  this  Letter. 


52  A  PASTORAL   LETTER. 

same  place,  "that  thou  art  a  sinner,  will  neither  so 
humble  nor  bridle  thy  soul,  as  if  the  catalogue  of  thy 
sins  examined  severally  be  continually  kept  in  mind. 
This  shall  make  thee  lowly  in  thine  own  eyes.  This 
shall  preserve  thy  feet  from  falling,  and  sharpen  thy 
desire  towards  all  good  things.  The  mind,  I  know, 
doth  hardly  admit  such  unpleasant  remembrances,  but 
we  must  force  it  thereunto.  It  is  safer  now  to  be  bit- 
ten with  the  memory,  than  hereafter  with  the  torment 
of  sin." 

Now  take  the  great  body  of  those  baptized  in  in- 
fancy, who  have  grown  up  unmindful  of  their  vows 
and  in  a  state  of  rebellion  against  God  and  His  grace  ; 
will  they  be  likely,  in  any  general  confession,  to  hum- 
ble themselves  to  an  admission  even  of  the  real  hein- 
ousness  of  their  guilt  ?  And,  if  they  are  sufficiently  hum- 
bled to  do  it,  have  long  habits  of  deadly  sin  brought 
no  blindness  upon  their  hearts — no  insensibility  into 
their  consciences,  which  must  incapacitate  them  to 
judge  of  the  nature,  and  hence  of  the  number  of  their 
sins  ?  Would  they  be  able,  under  such  circumstances, 
to  "  take  their  weight,  one  by  one — examine  the  cata- 
logue of  their  sins  severally  ?"  But  this  must  be  done. 
Tertullian  affirms,  that  "confession  doth  as  much 
abate  the  weight  of  men's  offences  as  concealment 
doth  make  them  heavier"  This  concealment  may 
arise  from  both  the  depravity  and  blindness  of  our 
minds,  which  we  cannot  well  manage  ourselves. 
There  is  another  class  of  persons,  who  are  in  great 
danger  from  a  morbid  state  of  mind,  of  over  estimat- 
ing their  offences,  and  missing  their  true  character. 
How  are  such  persons  to  be  aided  by  a  general  con- 
fession merely  ? 

Further,  absolution  looks  to  the  cure  of  sin, 
as  well  as  its  remission.  Hooker  remarks,  in  a  pas- 
sage already  cited,  (3.)  "  The  power  to  remit  and 
retain  sins"  was  given  to  the  "guides  and  prelates 
of  God's  Church,"   to  uphold  that  discipline,  "  the 


A  PASTORAL   LETTER.  53 

end  whereof  is  to  heal  mens*  consciences,  to  cure 
their  sins,  to  reclaim  offenders,  and  to  make  them 
by  repentance  just."  Again,  he  says,  "  The  know- 
ledge how  to  handle  our  sores  is  no  vulgar  and  common 
act,''  and  the  reason  he  gives  is,  that  we  are  prone 
to  be  partial  and  over  tender  with  ourselves,  and  be- 
sides, that  we  often  fall  into  'timorous  scrupulosi- 
ties/ and  so  into  extreme  discomforts  of  mind;" 
hence  that  earnest  men  in  the  primitive  Church 
thought  it  "  the  safest  way  to  disclose  their  secret 
faults,  and  crave  imposition  of  penance  from  them 
whom  our  Lord  Jesus  Christ  hath  left  in  His  Church 
to  be  spiritual  and  ghostly  physicians,  the,  guides  and 
pastors  of  redeemed  souls,  whose  office  doth  not  only 
consist  in  general  persuasions  unto  amendment  of 
life,  but  also  in  the  private,  particular  cure  of  dis- 
eased souls."  But  how  can  this  benefit  be  secured 
in  the  present  state  of  confession  ?  How  can  the 
physician  prescribe  in  wisdom  and  honesty,  without 
knowing  the  disease  ?  Bishop  Ravenscroft,  in  dis- 
cussing the  relative  duties  of  pastor  and  people,  en- 
joins upon  the  latter,  "that  they  make  their  pastor," 
I  use  his  words,  "  acquainted  with  their  spiritual 
condition,"  and  bitterly  laments  that  in  our  system, 
there  is  such  a  want  of  inclination  and  opportunity 
for  this. 

(4.)  One  more  thing  connects  itself  with  absolu- 
tion, which  seems  to  require  that  confession  be  some- 
thing more  than  what  it  is  at  present  with  us.  It  is 
that  in  absolution  alone,  we  can  be  restored  to  that 
communion  with  Christ  in  His  Church,  from  which 
our  grievous  sins  had  separated  us.  "With  us," 
says  Hooker,  "the  ministers  of  God's  most  holy 
word  and  sacraments  all  are  put  in  trust  with  the  cus- 
tody and  dispensation  of  those  mysteries,  (the  body 
and  blood  of  Christ,)  wherein  our  communion  is  and 
hath  been  ever  accounted  the  highest  grace  that 
men  on  earth  are  admitted  into."  But  how,  I  would 
3 


54  A  PASTORAL   LETTER. 

ask,  according  to  our  present  practice,  with  our  dis- 
cipline lost,  our  confession  only  general — "  the  care- 
lessness of  which,"  says  Hooker,  "doth  commonly 
extinguish  all  remorse  of  mens'  particular,  enormous 
crimes" — how,  I  ask,  under  such  discouragements, 
are  we  to  keep  grievous  sinners  among  our  people, 
from  gathering  a  false  peace  from  our  public  abso- 
lution, and  going  thence  to  the  holy  altar,  to  eat  and 
drink  damnation  to  themselves  ?"  Suppose,  as  Hooker 
advises,  we  give  them  "  very  fearful  admonition, 
what  woes  are  perpendicularly  hanging  over  the  heads 
of  such  as  dare  adventure  to  put  forth  their  un- 
worthy hands  to  those  admirable  mysteries  of  life, 
which  have  been  by  rare  examples  proved  conduits 
of  irremediable  death  to  impenitent  receivers  ;"  will  this 
prevent  "  the  carelessness  of  general  confession  from 
extinguishing,  as  it  commonly  doth,  mens'  remorse  for 
their  particular"  sins  ;  and  enable  us  to  give  a  good 
"  account  of  their  souls"  in  the  day  of  judgment  ? 

Here  are  my  reasons,  dear  brethren,  for  what  I  have 
said  and  written  on  the  subject  of  confession  and  ab- 
solution. Less  I  could  not  have  said  and  been  faith- 
ful to  you  ;  less,  and  saved  my  own  soul.  When  you 
can  succeed  in  making  me  careless  for  your  salva- 
tion, or  in  taking  away  my  responsibility  as  your 
chief  shepherd,  or  in  reducing  me  to  that  common 
snare  and  slavery,  "  the  fear  of  man,"  or  in  inspiring 
me  with  that  recklessness  of  divine  truth  and  eter- 
nal safety,  which  moves  so  many  to  barter  heaven 
for  earth,  then,  and  not  till  then,  may  you  expect  my 
silence  and  my  inaction  on  these  momentous  sub- 
jects !  But  as  a  diocese  you  do  not  desire  this !  As 
a  diocese,  you  wish  to  deprive  no  one  of  the  liberty 
with  which  Christ  and  the  Church  hath  made  us 
free  !  As  a  diocese,  you  wish  to  know  the  truth,  and 
save  your  souls ! 

II.  But,  it  is  said,  or  insinuated,  we  care  not  which, 
"ceremcn'es   and  practices  have   been  introduced 


A  PASTORAL   LETTER.  55 

either  unauthorized  by  the  customs  of  this  Church, 
or  in  plain  violation  of  its  rubrics."  "  Unauthorized 
by  the  custom  of  this  Church!"  Of  what  Church, 
I  would  ask?  Of  the  Church  in  North  Carolina ? 
Which  of  the  congregations  shall  we  take  as  a  stand- 
ard ?  Of  which  Church  in  the  United  States  ? 
To  which  of  the  dioceses  shall  we  look  for  guidance  ? 
Or  of  the  mother  country  ?  Upon  what  period  of 
her  history  may  we  fix,  as  exhibiting  the  settled  and 
authoritative  customs  of  our  branch  of  the  One  Ca- 
tholic Church  ?  No  one,  not  even  my  peer,  has  a 
right  to  condemn  my  "  ceremonies"  as  unauthorized 
by  Church  "customs,"  without  being  required  to 
point  out  these  customs,  and  to  prove  their  authority 
over  my  standard.  In  a  time  of  fear  and  of  passion- 
ate excitement,  it  is  easy  to  vociferate,  and  insinuate 
general  charges  for  effect ;  but  not  so  easy,  to  be 
reasonable,  and  to  keep  in  one's  proper  place.  "Ce- 
remonies and  practices"  have  been  "  introduced,"  I 
know,  wholly  "  unauthorized"  by  the  "  customs  of 
this  Church"  as  established  by  the  English  reform- 
ers. When  custom  was  in  keeping  with  doctrine, 
sense  was  brought  to  the  aid  of  Faith,  and  made 
subservient  to  it.  Then  Church-buildings  were 
viewed  as  offerings  to  God,  and  their  costliness  and 
magnificence  were  limited  only  by  the  means  of  the 
founders ;  then  the  Christian  temple  was  made  to 
symbolize  the  Christian  Creed  ;  the  visible  to  give 
more  vivid  reality  and  impressiveness  to  the  invisi- 
ble ;  then  an  awful  sense  of  Christ's  presence  in 
the  blessed  Sacrament  was  indicated  by  the  promi- 
nence and  adornments  of  the  chancel,  and  especially 
the  holy  altar.  Then  it  was  manifest  that  the  min- 
ister offered  prayer  to  God,  and  not  to  the  people,  by 
kneeling  towards  the  place  where  the  incarnate  God 
had  taken  up  His  special  abode.  Then  humility  and 
reverence  in  the  people  were  apparent,  in  not  turn- 
ing their  back  upon  the  Priest,  when  he  pronouced 


56  A  PASTORAL  LETTER. 

over  them  absolution  or  blessing.  Then  their  sense 
of  propriety  prevailed  in  moving  them  to  make  all 
ascription  of  praise  to,  and  all  professions  of  belief 
in  the  holy  Trinity,  with  their  faces  to  the  altar. 
Then  adherence  to  primitive  Catholic  Truth,  was 
made  manifest  in  their  not  virtually  denying  "  the 
communion  of  saints,"  in  failing  to  remember  in  their 
prayers  and  oblations,  "  the  faithful  departed."*  Then 
the  Priesthood  was  looked  upon  and  reverenced  as 
from  God,  and  was  distinguished  from  secular  persons 
by  a  peculiar  enjoined  dress,  and  from  one  another 
in  the  sanctuary  of  God,  by  vestments  suited  to  their 
several  orders,  and  ministerial  or  priestly  acts.  Then 
in  short,  everything  that  met  the  eye  in  the  Church, 
or  in  the  individuals  that  severally  worshipped  there 
in  their  ranks,  spoke  of  the  majesty  and  incomprehen- 
sible mercy  of  God  in  Christ,  and  of  deep  reverence 
and  self  abasement  and  grateful  love  in  God's  people  ! 
And  instead  of  fears  lest  he  should  give  too  much 
expression  by  ceremonial,  to  the  several  acts  of  God's 
condescending  goodness,  each  worshipper  seemed  to 
deplore  his  ability  to  do  only  so  little,  and  so  unwor- 
thily, to  unveil  to  all  eyes  the  bright  features  of  in- 
carnate divinity  and  love !  I  acknowledge,  dear 
brethren,  and  I  do  it  with  great  sorrow  of  heart,  that 
a  great  change  in  these  respects  has  come  over  the 
face  of  God's  people  ;  that  "  ceremonies  and  prac^ 
tices  "  have  been  introduced  in  our  degenerate  age, 
"unauthorized  by  the  customs  of  this  Church  :"  this 
Church  as  it  came  forth  from  the  furnace  of  trial 
with  a  humble  heart,  and  holy  life  ;  a  life  adorned 
with  the  divine  fruits  of  true  repentance,  faith,  and 
charity ;  and  a  heart  filled  with  the  light  of  God's 
word,  and  honest  in  its  submission  and  devotion  to 
God's  Church,   as    "  the  pillar  and  ground    of    the 


*  In  the  Prayer  Book  of  Edward  VI.,  prayers  for  the  faithful  dead 
are  to  be  found. 


A  PASTORAL   LETTER.  57 

truth,"  not  professing  to  be  guided  by  her  Catho- 
lic judgment,  when,  in  reality,  it  was  following  self- 
will.  Yes,  under  the  silent  workings  of  that  leaven  of 
Lutheranism  and  Puritanism,  infused  into  the  ritual 
of  the  English  Church,  by  foreign  influence,  crowd- 
ing out  her  primitive  catholicity  to  make  room  for 
modern  inventions,  fearful  changes  have  taken  place, 
not  only  in  our  ceremonial,  but  in  our  views,  ge- 
nerating a  low  estimate  of  the  Sacraments  and 
Priesthood,  and  tending  to  an  utter  prostration  of 
the  external  system  of  the  Church,  and  an  utter  ex- 
tinction of  its  true,  original  spirit ;  while  an  anta- 
gonistic system  is  becoming  insensibly  and  gradually 
substituted  and  relied  upon  in  her  place.  The  main 
causes  of  this,  I  shall  state  in  the  conclusion  of  my 
letter  ;  and  only  allude  to  it  here,  as  a  reason  in  my 
own  mind,  for  an  earnest  endeavour,  gradually  to 
restore  the  "  ceremonies  and  practices"  of  the  Church 
in  North  Carolina  to  something  like  uniformity  in 
themselves,  and  like  agreement  with  the  doctrines  it 
professes,  and  the  "  customs"  it.  is  bound,  by  every 
principle  and  obligation  of  duty,  to  follow. 

In  this  endeavor,  however,  your  Bishop  has 
carefully  distinguished  between  comparatively  un- 
important things,  and  those  which  are  identified  with 
truth, — that  have  always  been  deemed  essential  to 
give  distinctness  and  expression  to  the  doctrines, 
sacraments  and  worship  of  the  Church.  And  he 
here  returns  thanks  to  God  for  even  some  little 
success. 

Churches  are  beginning  to  assume  a  more  Church- 
like appearance — to  be  more  in  keeping  with  their 
divine  and  holy  purpose.  The  altar  of  God  is  here 
and  there  drawn  out  of  its  obscurity,  and  the  pulpit 
become  a  little  more  simple  and  retiring.  The  re- 
verence of  both  clergy  and  people  is  manifestly  in- 
creasing; the  number  of  surplices  is  becoming 
greater  ;  altars  are  less  frequently  made  the  resting 


58  A  PASTORAL  LETTER. 

place  for  clerical  arms  and  elbows.  "  The  irrever- 
ent practice,"  to  use  the  language  of  Bishop  Hobart, 
"  of  receiving  the  consecrated  bread  with  the  glove 
on  the  hand"  is  decreasing,  while  a  greater  number 
receive  agreeably  to  his  recommendation,  "in  the 
palm  of  the  right  hand  crossed  over  the  left,  and 
then  lifted  to  the  mouth."*  Fewer  backs  are  turned 
towards  the  priest  at  absolution  and  benediction. 
The  voices  are  not  quite  so  loud  within  the  walls 
of  the  sanctuary, — neither  the  covered  heads  quite 
so  numerous,  while  the  rush  to  escape  from  Church 
is  not  quite  so  deafening.  Fewer  congregations 
regard  their  ministers  as  mere  "  hirelings,"  and  insist 
upon  bidding  for  their  services  yearly,  as  they  do  for 
their  field-laborers. 

There  may  have  been  some  two  or  three  other 
changes  which  have  escaped  my  recollection,  in  the 
irregularities,  not  "customs"  of  this  diocese,  since 
my  coming  into  the  Episcopate.  But  not  one  in- 
stance, so  far  as  I  know,  of  the  introduction,  of 
what  are  usually  styled  "  novelties," — no  unusual 
bowings,  or  crossings,  or  lighting  of  candles  on  the 
altar  in  the  day  time ;  and  yet,  "  great  agitation 
and  alarm"  about  these  things ! 

III.  And  now  for  "the  plain  violation  of  rubrics." 
And  here  I  confess  the  insinuation  of  the  commit- 
tee, might,  with  perfect  safety,  have  taken  the  form 
of  a  direct  charge.  As  after  mature  reflection,  I 
hesitate  not  to  affirm,  that  no  clergyman  in  this  dio- 
cese is  free  from  such  a  charge,  and  none  less  than 
the  members  of  the  committee  themselves.  What 
clergymen  '•  often  admonishes  the  people  that  they 
defer  not  the  baptism  of  their  children  longer  than 
the  first  or  second  Sunday  after  their  birth  ?"     And 


*  See  Companion  for  Altar,  note  to  p.  243. 

t  I  thank  God  only  one  parish  in  the  diocese  adheres  to  this  degrad- 
ing practice. 


A  PASTORAL   LETTER.  59 

further  "  warns  them  that  without  great  Gause,  they 
procure  not  their  children  to  be  baptized  at  home  ?" 
What  clergyman  "  on  coming  to  the  font,  fills  it,  or 
has  it  filled,  with  pure  water  ?"  or  "pours  water  upon 
the  infant"  at  baptism  ?  What  clergyman  having 
baptized  a  child  in  private,  afterwards  "  certifies  the 
same"  in  the  form  of  the  prayer  book,  before  the  con- 
gregation ?  What  clergyman,  in  the  examination 
of  candidates  for  adult  baptism,  "exhorts  them  by 
prayer  and  fasting  to  prepare  themselves  for  the  re- 
ceiving of  the  Holy  Communion?"  What  priest, 
"  when  the  Bishop  gives  knowledge  for  children  to 
be  brought  unto  him  for  their  confirmation,  brings 
or  sends  in  writing  with  his  hand  subscribed  there- 
unto, the  names  of  all  such  persons  within  his  par- 
ish as  he  shall  think  fit  to  be  presented  to  the  Bishop 
to  be  confirmed  ?"  What  priest,  after  the  gospel, 
"declares  unto  the  people  what  holy  days  or  fasting 
days  are  to  be  observed  in  the  week  following  ?" 
What  priest,  "  causes  the  alms  of  the  people  to  be 
received  in  a  decent  basin,  and  to  be  reverently 
brought  to  him,  and  humbly  presents  and  places  it 
on  the  holy  table  ?"  What  priest,  after  the  offertory, 
"places  upon  the  table  so  much  bread  and  wine  as 
he  shall  think  sufficient  ?"  What  priest  takes  care 
that  the  remaining  consecrated  bread  and  wine  is 
u  reverently  eaten  and  drunk  immediately  after  the  bles- 
sing ?"  What  priest,  "  to  the  intent,  that  his  people 
may  be  always  in  readiness  to  dfe,  whenever  it  shall 
please  Almighty  God  to  call  them,  diligently  from 
time  to  time  (and  especially  in  the  time  of  pestilence 
or  other  infectious  disease)  exhorts  his  parishioners 
to  the  often  receiving  the  Holy  Communion  of  the 
body  and  blood  of  our  Saviour  Christ  ?"  What 
priest,  in  visiting  the  sick,  "  admonishes  the  sick 
person  to  make  his  will,  and  to  declare  his  debts  ?" 
and  "does  not  omit  earnestly  to  move  such  sick 
persons  as  are  of  ability  to  be  liberal  to  the  poor  ?" 


bl)  A  PASTORAL    LETTES. 

What  clergyman  observes  himself,  and  causes  his 
people  to  observe,  "  the  forty  days  of  Lent, — the  Em- 
ber Days,  at  the  four  seasons, — the  three  Rogation 
Days, — and  all  Fridays  of  the  year,  on  which  the 
Church  requires  such  a  measure  of  abstinence 
as  is  more  especially  suited  to  extraordinary 
acts  and  exercises  of  devotion  ?"  When  each 
member  of  the  committee,  and  each  clergyman  in 
the  diocese,  can  declare  before  God,  that  in  none  of 
these  respects  he  has  failed  to  come  up  to  the  letter 
or  spirit  of  the  rubrical  law  of  the  Church,  then, 
and  not  till  then,  may  he  consistently  "  be  very  in- 
tolerant of  such  as  violate  the  rubrics*"  He  must 
not  violate  them  to  answer  his  own  ends,  and  then 
complain  of  others  for  following  his  example.  The 
truth  is,  that  while  your  Bishop  would  discourage 
every  wilful  and  needless  violation  of  the  rubrics,  he 
would,  at  the  same  time,  express  his  conviction  that 
the  Church  intended  them  rather  as  general  direc- 
tions than  as  inflexible  laws, — to  be  strictly  followed 
however,  where  circumstances  will  admit  of  it ;  but 
to  be  departed  from,  where,  in  the  candid  and  filial 
judgment  of  the  priest,  her  great  leading  purposes 
demand  it,  as  they  sometimes  unquestionably  do. 
While,  however,  I  say  that  all  my  clergy,  more  or 
less,  violate  the  rubrics,  I  am  bound  to  add  my  be- 
lief that  no  one  either  does,  or  has  done  it,  needlessly, 
or  with  a  view  to  depart  from  the  faith  or  worship  of 
the  Church. 

IV.  The  last  cause  of  excitement  suggested  by 
the  committee,  viz  :  that  which  relates  to  the  soci- 
ety of  the  Holy  Cross,  will  be  adverted  to  in  the  con- 
clusion. 

But  it  is  said  ;  "  The  Bishop  surely  gave  up  in  his 
charge  some  of  his  previous  views  and  teachings."  Here 
is  the  mistake,  and  a  mistake  which  is  doing  great  in 
injustice  to  me  and  injury  to  my  diocese.  Your  Bishop 
is  ever  ready  to  yield  anything  for  peace,  which  is  not 


A  PASTORAL    LETTER.  61 

identified  with  essential  truth.  But  to  admit  that  he 
had  yielded  in  this  case,  would  be  to  admit  that  he 
had  been  unfaithful,  where  his  conscience  testifies 
before  God  to  his  strict  fidelity ;  would  be  to  say, 
that  he  had  given  up  that  which  he  never  held.  He 
did,  however,  being  sick,  what  he  never  would  have 
done,  being  well ;  he  allowed  himself  to  treat,  as  if 
lawful,  an  unlawful,  though  implied,  censure ;  and 
an  invasion  of  his  just  rights  from  which  the  merest 
respect  for  his  office  should  have  shielded  him.  But 
he  turns  to  his  diocese,  and  thanks  God  that  he  can 
turn  to  them  with  the  utmost  confidence  of  support, 
though  not  perhaps  of  entire  agreement  with  him- 
self, and  say  to  them,  Brethren,  your  Bishop  has  not 
retreated  one  step  ! — has  not  and  will  not  (for  any 
consideration  this  side  the  grave)  yield  one  word  or 
syllable  of  what  he  has  really  taught.  For  he  be- 
lieves it  identified  with  his  own  and  your  salvation, 
as  he  believes  it  bound  upon  his  conscience  by  solemn 
oath  at  his  consecration. 

V. 

Permit  me,  Brethren,  to  go  back  a  little  in  our 
history,  as  a  branch  of  the  One  Catholic  Church,  and 
trace  out  very  briefly  some  of  the  causes  which  have 
led  me  to  my  present  convictions  and  course. 

All  national  Church  reforms  are  conducted  under 
strong  feelings,  and  undue  bias.  The  mind  of 
the  nation  is  impelled  by  some  great  and  engrossing 
idea,  which,  for  the  time,  sinks  every  thing  else  be- 
low its  proper  level,  and  thus  leads  to  an  exaggera- 
tion of  error  and  an  overstatement  of  antagonistic 
truth.  So  that  much  of  what  is  done  under  national 
excitement  to  meet  a  practicular  exigency,  though 
comparatively  harmless  at  I  he  time,  often  tends,  in  an- 
other age,  and  under  other  influences,  to  the  opposite 
and  equally  dangerous  extreme  from  that  which  was 
originally  sought  to  be  shunned.  The  reformation 
3* 


62  A  PASTORAL   LETTER. 

in  England,  however  loudly  called  for,  by  the  cor- 
ruptions of  the   time,  was   not  wholly  exempt   from 
the  evils  to  which  I  have  adverted.     The  political, 
and  indeed  personal  questions  wThich  obtruded  them- 
selves into  the  ecclesiastical  struggle  with  Rome,  so 
averted   and  warped  the  mind  of  the  nation,  as,  in 
the  settlement  of  religious  truth,  to  allow  of  a  decid- 
ed infusion   of  leaven  from  a  foreign  source  into  the 
Anglican  formularies  of  doctrine.     Coming  from  a 
system  in  Germany  at  variance  in  most  of  its  essen- 
tial  features    with  the  Sacramental   system  of  the 
English  ritual,. it  was  soon  found  to  breed  jealousy 
and  strife.     Its  working  was   aided   too  by   the  pre- 
sence of  those   eminent  Lutheran  or  Calvinistic  di- 
vines  that  found  their  way  at  an  early  period  of  the 
Reformation,  into   the  Universities  and   Theological 
chairs  of  England.     The  struggle  between  these  anta- 
gonist  principles — the   Lutheran   and    Sacramental, 
soon  resulted  in  demands  for  change  in  the  Book  of 
Common  Prayer.    One  change  had  hardly  been  yield- 
ed when   another  was  called  for,  demonstrating  the 
growing  conformity  to  the  Lutheran  or  Puritan  mind. 
Thus  the  once  harmonious  system  gathered  by  our  An- 
glican forefathers,    with  so  much  toil  and   suffering 
from  the  Creeds  and  Liturgies  of  truly  Catholic  anti- 
quity,  was   gradually    deprived   of  its  oneness    and 
strength,  and  greatly  diluted  in  some  of  its   essential 
truth.     One  feature  after  another  disappeared  in  the 
various    attempts  to  adapt  it    to    what    was   really 
"  another  Gospel." 

Among  these,  the  doctrine  of  "  sacredotal  absolu- 
tion," was  cast  into  the  shade,  when  its  true  and  pro- 
per form  was  removed  from  general  use,  into  "  the 
Order  for  the  Visitation  of  the  Sick."  Besides  the  re- 
sult of  such  alterations  in  the  Book  of  Common  Prayer, 
under  foreign  pressure,  another  principle,  hardly  less 
prejudicial  to  the  truth,  was  at  work,  engendered  in 
England   herself,   from   "  the  union  of  Church  and 


A  PASTORAL  LETTER.  63 

State."  The  effect  of  it  was  to  lower,  in  the  estima- 
tion of  the  people,  the  Church  from  its  true  character, 
as  the  mystical  body  of  Christ,  to,  at  least,  a  semi- 
political  establishment.  So  that  in  less  than  two  cen- 
turies, if  we  may  believe  the  testimony  of  Charles 
Leslie  and  his  faithful  kindred  in  the  faith,  the  real 
nature  of  the  sacraments  was  lost  sight  of,  in  the  vir- 
tual erasement  from  the  national  mind,  of  that  grand 
article  in  the  creed — "  The  One  Catholic  and  Apos- 
tolic Church."  And  what  made  the  case  still  more 
sad  and  discouraging,  was  the  fact,  that  the  great 
body  of  such  as  held  to  the  sacraments  at  all,  stripped 
them  of  their  vitality,  presenting  merely  "  the  out- 
ward, visible  sign,"  with  no  "  inward,  spiritual  grace." 
The  effect  was  to  turn  those  that  were  really  "hunger- 
ing and  thirsting  after  righteousness,"  away  from  the 
rich  gifts  of  heavenly  grace  in  the  Church,  to  those 
systems  which  gave  to  their  uninstructed  minds, 
fairer  promise  of  spiritual  life  and  nourishment.  No 
wonder,  that  the  altars  of  our  Church  were  deserted 
for  the  earnest,  though  unauthorized  teachings  of  dis- 
sent, while  the  Church  itself,  was  borne  still  far- 
ther and  farther,  from  the  spirit,  and  language,  and 
doctrine  of  primitive  antiquity,  as  embodied  in  the 
Liturgy  of  the  Anglican  Reformers. 

In  this  country,  with  the  same  antagonistic  power 
to  contend  with,  as  a  Church,  in  the  absence  of  all 
immediate  Episcopal  supervision,  with  a  still  greater 
proclivity  to  dissent ;  and  this  evil  greatly  aggra- 
vated by  the  circumstances  in  which  we  were  left  by 
the  revolution,  it  is  certainly  no  matter  of  surprise, 
that  the  same  result,  as  in  the  mother  country,  and 
even  to  a  more  alarming  degree,  should  have  been 
realized.  If  you  demand  evidence,  you  have  it  in  the 
conflicts  of  Seabury  and  White,  and  a  few  other 
faithful  men,  with  the  spirit  of  heresy,  as  developed 
in  the  first  general  Convention  ;  developed  in  efforts 
to  destroy  the  fundamental  faith,  and  cut  off  our  in- 


64  A  PASTORAL  LETTER. 

fant  Church  from  the  favor  of  God,  and  the  fellow- 
ship of  the  "faithful."  If  you  demand  evidence, 
you  have  it  in  the  history  of  Hobart,  the  history  of 
one  unceasing  struggle  against  the  disparagement  of 
the  sacraments,  and  the  invasion  of  the  just  powers 
and  rights  of  the  priesthood,  both  within  and  without 
our  communion.  If  you  demand  evidence,  return  to 
the  stern  conflicts  of  your  own  Ravenscroft.  Listen 
to  his  earnest  expostulations,  and  warnings,  and  en- 
treaties on  the  first  great  truth  he  unfolded  to  you 
after  his  consecration — "  The  One  Catholic  and 
Apostolic  Church!"  Open  your  eyes,  and  ears,  and 
hearts  to  the  affecting  appeal  he  made  to  you,  almost 
from  his  grave — "  Pardon  me,  my  brethren,  if  I  seem 
to  you  to  anticipate  an  ideal  danger.  I  am,  indeed, 
no  prophet,  to  draw  from  futurity  its  hidden  results ; 
but,  as  your  watchman  in  chief,  and  charged  with 
all  the  interests  of  the  Church,  I  have  to  keep  an  eye 
upon  remote  as  well  as  immediate  consequences,  and 
to  give  the  warning  from  the  quarter  whence  danger 
threatens. 

"Our  danger,  at  the  present  time,  seems  to  me  to 
arise  from  a  decline  in  the  spirit  and  power  of  religion, 
from  loose  and  erroneous  views  of  the  prescribed  and 
covenanted  character  of  revealed  religion — from  con- 
sequent indifference  to  our  distinctive  principles — and 
from  an  over-conformity  with  the  spirit  of  the  world, 
which,  if  not  arrested,  must  soon  and  certainly  pro- 
duce that  moral  death  which  precedes  the  removal  of 
our  light  from  the  candlestick.  Against  this  danger, 
what  is  to  be  the  resort,  my  brethren  ?  Anxiously 
have  I  cast  about  for  the  most  effectual  remedy,  and 
my  judgment  can  find  that  no  where,  under  God,  but 
in  a  '  return  to  first  principles.'  These,  through  his 
blessing,  may  yet  revive  us  to  the  power  of  godli- 
ness, and  sustain  us  against  the  opposition  of  our  ene- 
mies. Yea,  turn  those  enemies  into  friends  and  fa- 
vorers of  our  righteous  cause,  through  the  power  of 


A  PASTORAL   LETTER.  65 

truth  plainly  announced,    and  faith  feebly  exhibited 
in  practice. 

"  Pardon  me,  also,  if  I  seem  to  any  to  have 
spoken  more  forcibly  than  the  occasion  called  for. 
Alas !  my  brethren,  that  the  desire  to  conciliate 
where  experience  demonstrates  that  concession  only 
increases  demand,  should  have  so  prevailed  as  to 
enervate  and  neutralize  the  truth  by  the  qualified  jand 
doubting  terms  in  which  it  is  expressed  !  But  a  more 
powerful  motive  than  the  fear  or  the  praise  of  men 
constrains  me.  This  may  be  my  last  address  to 
convention  of  this  diocese, — of  which  frequently  re- 
curring disease  gives  serious  notice.  I,  therefore, 
have  to  speak  as  a  dying  man  to  those  for  whom  he 
has  to  give  account,  recalling  them  as  Christians 
and  Churchmen  to  those  pure  principles  of  primitive 
truth  and  order,  which  alone  give  to  the  religion  of  the 
Gospel  its  practical  importance  as  the  prescribed  in- 
stitution of  the  wisdom  of  God  for  the  salvation 
of  sinners, — which  alone  give  to  the  visible  Church, 
ministry  and  sacraments,  any  definite  purpose  in  the 
economy  of  grace — which  alone  give  to  the  faith  of 
the  Gospel  its  covenanted  character,  and  to  the  hope  of 
eternal  life,  through  the  merits  of  the  divine  Saviour, 
the  support  of  divine  assurance."  Vol.  1,  p.  466. 

It  was  just  after  the  death  of  this  true  and  good 
Bishop,  that  the  Anglican  Church  was  aroused  from 
her  deep  slumber,  and  called  up  to  a  consideration 
of  her  office  and  gifts  by  the  stirring  voice  of  a  few 
holy  men  at  the  University  of  Oxford  and  its  neigh- 
borhood. The  simplicity,  earnestness,  faithfulness, 
humility,  and  adaptedness  to  the  yearnings  of  many 
minds,  of  the  Oxford  Tracts,  gave  them  ready  access 
to  almost  every  fireside  and  heart  in  England,  and 
soon  made  them  welcome  messengers  of  love  and 
hope  to  our  shores.  Embodying  those  first  princi- 
ples of  sound  and  primitive  theology  which  had  been 
taught  more  distinctly  among  us  than  in  our  mother 


66  A  PASTORAL  LETTER. 

Church,  carrying  them  out  to  their  just  consequences 
and  entering  more  into  details,  these  and  kindred 
writings  showed  us  our  gifts,  our  vows,  our  duties, 
our  dangers,  our  rewards,  and  the  rugged  way  of  self- 
denying  holiness  which  leads  to  them.  They  set 
before  us  in  yet  clearer  and  more  attractive  light, 
our  holy  mother — the  One  Catholic  and  Apostolic 
Church — claiming  our  love  and  submission,  and  of- 
fering her  sacramental  gifts — her  safe  guidance — her 
divine  assurance  of  eternal  life  to  the  faithful  in 
Christ  Jesus.  The  effect  was  great — such  as  might 
have  been  looked  for  in  an  age  when  sinners,  inqui- 
ring what  they  must  do  to  be  saved,  had  been  sent 
back  for  an  answer  to  their  own  burdened  and  trem- 
bling hearts.  "  The  members  of  Christ"  felt  with  new 
force  that,  instead  of  being  left  to  grope  their  lonely 
way  through  the  mazes  of  sense  and  reason,  they  had 
already  "  come  unto  Mount  Zion,  and  unto  the  city  of 
the  living  God,  the  heavenly  Jerusalem,  and  to  an 
innumerable  company  of  angels,  to  the  general  as- 
sembly and  Church  of  the  first-born,  whose  names 
are  written  in  heaven,  and  to  God,  the  judge  of  all, 
and  to  the  spirits  of  just  men  made  perfect,  and  to 
Jesus,  the  mediator  of  the  new  covenant,  and  to  the 
blood  of  sprinkling,  that  speaketh  better  things  than 
the  blood  of  Abel."  The  change  promised  fair  for 
the  cause  of  holiness  and  truth.  But,  as  was  to  have 
been  expected  with  ardent  and  honest-hearted  young 
men,  errors  of  judgment  were  committed,  and  a  check 
was  given  to  the  rising  truth.  The  most  violent  op- 
position was  awakened — every  advantage  was 
taken  of  misjudgment — calumny  was  employed — 
combinations  formed — the  powers  in  high  places 
invoked — and  every  available  influence  was  bi  ought 
to  bear  against  the  authors  and  advocates 
of  this  fresh  Revival  of  the  Church-mind  to  true 
Church-principles.  It  is  not  wonderful  that  some 
faint-hearted  men,  under  such  discouragement,  should 


A  PASTORAL   LETTER.  67 

have  weakly  abandoned  their  position,  and  deserted 
their  Church.  But  it  is  wonderful,  that  from  this, 
any  sound  minded  Churchman  would  have  argued 
that  the  position  must  be  necessarily  false  and  unfi- 
lial;  since  the  very  effort  had  been  to  show  the 
earnest  and  longing  heart,  that  in  our  branch  of  the 
Church  were  all  the  gifts  and  capacities  for  holiness, 
and  for  an  assurance  of  salvation,  that  were  origin- 
ally entrusted  to  the  Church  of  the  living  God.  But 
such  was  the  effect  of  the  lamented  desertions  to 
Rome.  A  panic  was  produced,  and  "  Puseyism,"  as 
"  the  sacramental  system"  was  styled,  by  way  of  re- 
proach, was  charged  with  an  essential  alliance  with 
"  Romanism." 

A  sad  fruit  of  this  reaction  in  the  public  mind, 
was  to  bring  undeserved  suspicion  upon  such  as  con- 
tinued firm  to  their  principles,  who  felt  bound  in 
conscience  to  hold  to  the  truth  of  God,  no  matter 
what  might  be  the  changes  in  their  fellow-men.  This 
suspicion  was  increased,  however,  by  the  impru- 
dences, and  often  follies,  of  young  persons,  and  in 
some  cases  of  young  clergymen,  who,  though  sincere 
and  filial,  yet  being  too  much  without  spiritual  coun- 
sel and  guidance,  became  selfwilled.  This,  through, 
what  always  seemed  to  me,  the  misjudgment  of  their 
superiors,  was  often  visited  with  harshness,  or  at 
least,  not  with  that  "  charity  which  suffereth  long  and 
is  kind."  Examinations  became  unusually  severe, 
and  sometimes  inquisitorial  in  their  character.  This 
produced  discouragement,  and  occasionally,  what  it 
should  not  have  done,  an  undutiful  spirit  towards  the 
Church.  In  this  state  of  things,  a  number  of  young 
clergymen,  knowing  the  views  of  your  Bishop,  came 
to  him,  when  in  New- York  at  the  General  Conven- 
tion of  1847,  for  sympathy  and  counsel.  Wishing  to 
devote  themselves,  soul  and  body,  to  Christ,  agreea- 
ble to  the  "  Evangelical  Counsels,"  they  offered  me 
their  services,  and  begged  to  be  allowed  to  act  under 


6S  A  PASTORAL  LETTER. 

my  Episcopal  guidance,  so  soon  as  arrangements 
could  be  made  for  their  transfer  to  my  diocese.  No 
definite  answer  was  given,  but  an  appointment  made 
for  conference  with  them  on  a  future  day,  and  an  op- 
portunity was  thus  given  for  consultation  with  some 
of  my  brethren.  My  young  friends  met  me  as  agreed 
upon,  to  the  number  of  five  or  six.  To  prevent  all 
misapprehension,  my  first  address  to  them  was  sub- 
stantially as  follows  :  "  Young  gentlemen,  if  you 
come  to  me  as  faithful  sons  of  our  branch  of  the 
Church,  asking  my  spiritual  counsel  and  guidance,  I 
will  receive  you,  and  do  all  in  my  power  to  encourage 
and  strengthen  your  catholic  views  and  desires,  so 
far  as  they  are  in  agreement  with  our  Liturgy,  fairly 
interpreted  by  the  Creeds  and  Councils  of  the  primi- 
tive Church.  But,  if  you  have  any  views  beyond  our 
Church,  and  hope  to  be  countenanced  in  them  by 
me,  I  must,  at  once,  undeceive  you,  by  declining 
any  further  interview."  They  all  declared  their 
fidelity  to  our  branch  of  the  Church,  and  1  consented 
to  receive  them.  Just  previously  to  this,  a  Society 
had  been  formed  at  Valle  Crucis,  called  "  the  Holy 
Cross,"  the  objects  and  duties  of  which  were  as  fol- 
lows ;  I  copy  literally  from  the  original  document : 

"  The  objects  of  the  Society  shall  be  the  promotion 
of  personal  holiness,  of  the  Sacramental  system  of  the 
Church,  as  set  forth  in  the  Book  of  Common  Prayer, 
and  of  Catholic  Unity." 

"  The  Society"  was  to  "  consist  of  three  orders." 

"  1st.  Perpetual  members,  who  must  be  unmar- 
ried men. 

2d.  Other  persons  living  in  the  institution. 

3d.  Persons  not  residing  at  Valle  Crucis." 

The   general    duties    were    common,    and   were 
named  as  follows  ;  I  give  every  word. 
"  Duties  of  the  Orders. 

It  shall  be  the  duties  of  all  the  orders  to  cultivate 
in  themselves  a  spirit  of  deep  humility,  and  charity, 
by  calmness  and  patience  under  reproaches  and  suf- 


A  PASTORAL   LETTER.  69 

ferings  ;  by  cheerful  submission  to  the  Church  in  her 
appointed  fasts,  and  daily  public  and  private  prayers  ; 
and  by  constant  acts  of  self  denial  and  almsgiving  ; 
also  to  inculcate  upon  the  minds  of  all  within  their 
influence,  the  sacramental  system  of  the  Church,  par- 
ticularly Baptismal  Regeneration,  the  Real  Presence 
of  our  Lord  in  the  Holy  Eucharist,  and  Sacerdotal 
Absolution  ;  and  also  to  promote  the  unity  of  the 
One  Catholic  and  Apostolic  Church,  by  excluding 
sectarian  prejudices  from  their  minds,  and  avoiding 
sectarian  language  in  their  conversation,*  and  by 
uniting  in  a  common  prayer,  that  God  may  speedily 
bring  together  in  one  mind  and  one  heart  the  scat- 
tered members  of  Christ's  Body." 

After  reading  this  summary,  as  the  basis  of  their 
duty,  I  enjoined  upon  them  the  necessity,  in  order  to 
peace  of  mind  and  efficiency  in  action,  of  abstaining 
from  all  books  whose  teaching  was  not  in  agreement 
and  sympathy  with  our  Church. 

I  appeal  to  my  Diocese,  and  ask  whether  this  fur- 
nishes evidence  of  the  charge,  now  in  busy  circula- 
tion, of  a  concealed  purpose  on  my  part  of  bringing 
any  foreign  system  or  influence  upon  the  diocese, 
either  through  the  society  above  named,  or  by  means 
of  the  religious  community  at  Valle  Crucis  ? 

If  there  be  any  teaching  or  influence  in  this 
community  other  than  decidedly  and  triumphantly 
favorable  to  the  interests#of  the  Church  I  have  not 
the  penetration  to  detect  it.     Hearing  that  a  little 


*  It  is  said  the  Bishop  never  speaks  or  writes  against  the  Roman- 
ists. Answer.  (1.)  There  are  enough  who  do  it,  without  him.  (2.)  It 
does  no  good  to  our  own  Church.  ('3.;  They  who  speak  against  others 
are  very  likely  to  speak  falsely.  (4.)  It  is  against  that  prayer  for  catho- 
lic unity  which  we  are  taught  to  make  every  time  we  join  in  our  Ser- 
vice. (5.)  However  great  may  be  their  errors,  Romanists  belong  to 
the  body  of  Christ,  and  hence  to  the  same  family  with  us.  And  it  is 
neither  lawful  to  speak  against  the  members  of  Christ's  body,  nor  in 
good  taste  to  speak  against  members  of  our  own  family. 


70  A  PASTORAL  LETTER. 

manual  had  been  taken  to  the  low-country  contain- 
ing objectionable  matter,  I  at  once  examined  into 
the  cause,  and  found  that  there  had  been  no  designed 
violations  of  our  standards,  nor  disobedience  to  my 
directions,  but  that  the  expressions,  which,  upon 
looking  over  the  manual  a  year  ago,  I  had  ordered 
to  be  stricken  out,  were,  in  this  particular  instance, 
left  in,  owing  to  the  absence  of  the  boy  who  had 
copy  of  the  manual  in  question  at  the  time,  and  his 
forgetfulness  after  his  return.  The  circumstance, 
however,  led  me,  at  once,  to  a  minute  examination 
into  the  books  of  instruction,  and  manuscript  lec- 
tures employed  in  teaching.  I  find,  from  unbiassed 
sources,  that  no  text  book  has  been  used  by  a  candi- 
date for  orders  other  than  the  list  set  forth  by  the 
House  of  Bishops  ;  and  that  nothing  has  been  taught 
beyond  the  true  and  proper  system  of  the  Church. 

It  will  be  recollected  that  for  years  I  have 
sought  to  induce  you,  Brethren,  as  a  diocese,  to 
take  the  responsibility  of  this  institution,  and  par- 
ticularly, that  I  did  this  by  a  public  proposal  at  the 
convention  in  Newbern,  1847.  My  efforts,  however, 
were  vain ;  and  I  was  left  alone  to  stagger  under 
burdens,  which,  but  for  the  affectionate  confidence 
and  timely  assistance  of  a  few  personal  friends, 
would  have  crushed  me  to  the  earth.  And  now, 
that,  by  strict  retrenchment  and  economy,  I  have 
reached  the  point,  by  GojJ's  good  providence,  of  ul- 
timate relief,  and,  through  the  unusual,  and  really 
surprising  (if  you  measure  them  by  this  age)  self-sa- 
crifices of  two  or  three  young  clergymen,  have  been 
able  to  give  to  the  institution  something  like  stabi- 
lity and  efficiency,  I  cannot  see  upon  what  princi- 
ple of  Christ  this  excellent  and  much  needed  cha- 
rity is  sought  to  be  arrested  at  this  moment  of  its 
success,  by  unfounded  and  exaggerated  charges. 
Thank  God,  it  cannot  be  arrested ;  His  wisdom 
will  frustrate  the  devices  of  the  adversary,  and 
His  power  defend  the  treasures  of  the  poor ! 


A  PASTORAL  LETTER.  71 

I  have  adverted  to  these  things  in  this  place, 
not  to  shield  myself  from  charges  or  surmises  of 
false  doctrine,  (these  I  am  prepared  to  answer  at 
the  proper  tribunal)  but  to  rebuke  the  unmanly 
and  unworthy  suspicion  of  an  attempt  covertly  to 
bring  upon  my  diocese  an  influence  unfriendly  to 
the  Church. 

Before  dismissing  this  point,  however,  allow  me 
to  put  to  you  one  serious  question.  Who,  among 
the  young  clergymen  that  for  the  last  two  years 
have  joined  our  little  band,  has  officiously  intruded 
into  the  general  concerns  of  the  diocese,  or  done 
ought  but  work  hard,  and  faithfully,  and  successfully, 
in  our  most  discouraging  fields  of  labor  ? 

But  I  have  detained  you  long,  dear  brethren,  and 
must  hasten  to  the  conclusion  of  my  letter.  When 
the  re-action  against  the  Oxford  Tracts  took  place, 
I  narrowly  and  anxiously  watched  the  effect  upon 
my  own  diocese  ;  which,  as  I  thought,  had,  in  the 
main,  sympathized  with  their  doctrinal  views,  sim- 
ply because  these  views  were  considered  a  faithful 
and  earnest  exhibition  of  the  true  doctrines  of  the 
Church.  It  was  matter  of  grief  to  me,  therefore, 
to  find  some  minds  of  high  order,  that  had  seemed 
strongly  impressed,  not  only  with  the  truth,  but  es- 
sential importance  of  these  doctrines,  gradually 
yielding  under  popular  pressure,  to  the  idea  of  their 
danger,  and  ready  to  acquiesce  in  the  justice  of  re- 
garding those  as  disturbers  of  the  peace  of  the 
Church  who  continued  to  advocate  them.  As  your 
Bishop  felt  himself  bound  in  conscience  to  do  this, 
he,  of  course,  fell,  more  or  less,  with  those  who 
thought  with  him,  under  this  oppressive  censure. 
How  far  he  has  been  justly  liable  to  it,  he  leaves  it 
with  the  Church  to  judge.  Now,  what  was  his 
course  ?  Convinced  as  he  was,  and  is,  that,  under 
an  element  of  Lutheranism  early  infused  into  our 
system,  a  principle  has  been    perpetually  at  work 


72  A  PASTORAL  LETTER. 

directly  adverse  to  its  true,  sacramental  character, 
he  might,  surely,  as  a  faithful  son  of  the  Church, 
have  sought  to  arouse  her  to  such  changes,  as  should, 
in  his  judgment,  tend  to  arrest  the  evil  and  help  us 
back  to  the  ground  on  which  the  English  Reformers 
originally  stood.  But  from  this  he  abstained  from 
motives  of  prudence,  and  a  desire  to  give  no  coun- 
tenance to  that  spirit  of  change  which  seems  bent 
on  depriving  us  of  the  last  vestige  of  the  sacraments, 
or  of  sacerdotal  functions.  But  further,  believing 
as  he  did  and  does,  that  the  senses  were  designed  by 
Almighty  God  as  handmaids  to  the  faith,  and  that 
the  ordinary  arrangements  of  the  churches  in  his 
diocese  tended  to  beget  irreverence  and  strengthen 
error,  he  might  well  have  insisted  upon  such  changes 
as,  in  his  view,  the  truth  and  honor  of  God  de- 
manded. But  he  abstained  from  all,  save  an  encou- 
raging word,  as  proper  occasion  offered,  lest  opposi- 
tion should  be  awakened  to  that  which  seemed  to  be 
commending  itself  by   its  own  manifest  propriety. 

What  then  has  brought  your  Bishop  under  the 
reproach  of  needlessly  disturbing  his  diocese  ? 
Listen  to  his  words  of  truth  and  soberness.  He 
may  have  misjudged ;  (for  who  does  not  sometimes 
err  ?)  but  he  claims  to  have  acted  with  a  good  con- 
science both  towards  God  and  man. 

In  casting  his  eye  about,  to  discover,  if  possible, 
the  cause  of  this  declension  in  manly  zeal  for  the 
faith,  he  perceived,  or  thought  he  perceived,  a  pro- 
portionate declension  in  the  spirit  and  power  of  god- 
liness. Many  who  had  seemed  to  be  quickened  to  a 
more  earnest  self-discipline,  and  aroused  to  efforts  for 
higher  spiritual  life,  were  found  to  have  gradually  re- 
lapsed to  their  former  state  ;  and  to  be  more  anxious 
for  ease  and  favor  among  men,  than  to  gain,  through 
"much  tribulation,  the  eternal  rest  which  remaineth 
for  the  people  of  God."  The  discovery  brought  great 
sorrow  and  searchings  of  heart.  Your  bishop  felt  that 


A  PASTORAL  LETTER.  73 

he  had  done  his  work  too  slightly — that  he  had  en- 
couraged peace,  where,  perhaps,  there  was  no  peace ; 
that  he  had  been  satisfied  with  too  low  a  standard  of 
holiness  for  himself  and  his  people ;  that  there  must 
be  a  fatal  want  in  the  soul,  where  there  was  so  little 
love  and  courage  for  the  truth.  And,  after  most 
prayerful  inquiry,  he  believed  that  want  to  consist 
mainly  in  an  inadequate  perception  of  the  nature  and 
value  of  the  sacraments,  and  hence  of  the  necessity  of  a 
deep  and  more  earnest  and  self-humbling  preparation, 
especially  for  coming  to  the  Holy  Communion  of  the 
body  and  blood  of  Christ ;  he  believed  that  from  this 
want  many,  under  the  blinding  and  stupefying  power 
of  habits  of  wilful  deadly  sin,  might  be  accustomed, 
with  his  ministerial  sanction,  to  come  to  the  Lord's 
Supper  only  to  eat  and  drink  damnation  to  themselves. 
The  thought  was  appalling — it  was  prompting — it  fur- 
nished, (as  your  bishop  hopes  for  mercy  at  last,)  the 
only  motive  in  the  preparation  and  publication  of  his 
seven  sermons,  on  "the  obedience  of  faith,"  and  his 
Pastoral  on  "  the  priestly  office."  In  doing  which  he 
boldly  avers,  that  he  has  gone  beyond  no  doctrine  of 
the  Church — sought  to  introduce  no  new  practice — 
to  infringe  no  man's  liberty — to  impose  no  additional 
term  of  communion ;  but  simply  to  bring  to  notice 
means  of  repentance  provided,  but  out  of  use — to 
take  the  mask  from  post-baptismal  sin — to  arouse  the 
burdened  conscience  and  point  it  for  relief  to  the 
source  which  Christ  has  ordained,  and  our  Church 
has  sanctioned  and  recommended.  Whether  he  de- 
serves for  his  effort  (poor  indeed  and  unworthy  of  the 
awful  crisis,)  the  rebuke  he  has  received,  God  and 
the  Church  will  judge  !  Whatever  may  be  the  ver- 
dict he  will  be  satisfied.  If  in  the  pride  of  his  heart 
he  has  sought  the  praise  of  men,  he  deserves  to  be 
humbled !  But  he  has  the  satisfaction  of  feeling  that, 
if  through  the  mercy  of  God,  a  few  humble,  earnest 
souls  shall  have  been  by  his  most  undeserving  instru- 


74  A  PASTORAL  LETTER, 

mentality,  plucked  from  the  snare  of  the  devil,  the 
reward  will  be  far  richer,  than  a  consciousness  that 
his  work  was  welcomed  by  empty  and  unthinking 
popular  applause. 

I  know,  it  is  said,  that  the  bishop  is  reaping  the 
reward  of  having  gone  against  the  protestant  feelings 
and  views  of  the  diocese.  His  answer  is,  that  he 
has  gone,  in  his  efforts,  for  truth  and  against  sin,  and 
that  while  he  maintains  that  our  branch  of  the  Church 
has  within  her  the  elements  of  all  necessary  truth, 
he  cannot  shut  his  eyes  to  the  fact,  that  she  has  in 
her  that  too  which  through  the  power  of  self-will, 
restrains  the  truth,  often  gives  the  reins  to  ungodli- 
ness and  wrong.  But  while  he  feels  this,  and  does 
what  he  can  to  correct  it,  he  has  never  been  guilty 
of  wanton  inflictions,  captious  criticism,  or  illiberal 
judgment.  He  appeals  with  confidence  to  his  clergy, 
to  defend  him  from  charges  of  this  kind,  and  with 
equal  confidence  to  the  laity,  to  shield  him  from  sus- 
picions of  officious  intermeddling  in  secular  matters, 
or  attempted  unfairness  in  the  inculcation  of  religi- 
ous duty. 

I  am  aware  that  there  may  be  excitement  as  the 
consequence  of  my  course ;  but  I  feel  that  "  fever  "  is 
safer  than  "paralysis,"  and  certainly  better  than 
"death."  While  I  admit,  however,  that  my  efforts 
have  called  up  opposition,  I  am  bound  to  express  my 
conviction,  that  a  fear  for  "  Protestanism  "  has  had 
little  to  do  in  the  movement.  In  our  age  deep  world- 
liness,  political  ambition,  overgrown  pride,  jealousy 
of  restraint,  fear  of  authority,  and  reckless  licentious- 
ness, have  conspired  with  sectarian  bitterness,  to 
shut  out  the  oneness  of  truth — the  inflexibility  of 
principle,  the  fixedness  of  God's  law;  and  to  make 
every  thing,  in  heaven  and  earth,  subject  to  the  way- 
wardness of  the  human  mind — the  caprice  of  circum- 
stances— the  demand  of  popular  favor.  What  wonder 
then,  when  man  is  convicted  of  sin — is  called  to  humil- 


A  PASTORAL   LETTER.  75 

ity — to  submission — called  to  admit  the  sovereignty 
of  an  incarnate  God — to  admit  the  only  way  of 
salvation  in  His  Church — to  admit  the  authority  of 
His  priesthood — the  necessity  of  His  sacraments — 
the  urgency  of  His  discipline — the  inflexibility  of 
His  laws — to  admit  that  "  without  holiness  "  no  one 
can  have  part  in  His  eternal  fellowship;  that  when 
he  is  called  to  this  his  heart  should  rebel,  in  this  age 
of  rebellion,  and  be  aroused  against  the  Messenger 
of  heaven — "  the  rightful  steward  of  the  mysteries  of 
God  !"  But  what  then  ?  Is  the  minister  of  heaven, 
to  withhold  his  message,  because  it  is  distasteful  to 
the  children  of  this  world  ?  What  is  this,  but  to  coun- 
sel faith  to  be  silent,  when  her  testimony  is  most 
needed  ?  To  halt  in  her  onward  progress,  when  her 
firm  and  steady  step  alone  can  disarm  resistance, 
and  give  triumph  to  the  uplifted  cross  ?  To  be  cow- 
ardly and  sparing  of  herself  at  the  very  moment, 
when  the  honor  of  Christ,  and  the  eternal  safety  of 
man,  demand  the  highest  courage  and  energy  and 
self-sacrifice.  And  what  is  to  be  gained  ?  We,  as 
individuals,  may  acquire  the  title  of  liberal,  concili- 
ating and  prudent !  But  what  do  we  gain  for  hea- 
ven ?  What  for  our  Master,  and  His  Church  on 
earth  ?  Where  has  she  made  advance  by  waiting 
for  the  world  to  welcome  her  ?  Did  the  apostles  and 
martyrs  and  confessors  make  achievements  by  wait- 
ing for  the  favor  of  the  world  ?  Go  back  a  step,  and 
inquire  what  were  the  signs  accompanying  the  birth 
of  the  Christian  faith  ?  Did  its  saintly  forerunner 
consort  with  the  great,  and  court  the  world  ? — wait- 
ing upon  its  smiles,  and  attending  upon  its  will,  in 
his  solemn  call  to  repentance  !  Did  he  remain  silent 
in  the  wilderness  of  Jordan,  till  the  power  of  pride 
and  lust,  and  covetousness,  and  ambition,  and  op- 
pression, and  all  ungodliness  in  high  places  had  given 
way,  and  made  it  safe  for  him  to  utter  his  stern  re- 
bukes, and  expose  hypocrisy?     Did  the  divine,  the 


76  A  PASTORAL  LETTER* 

blessed  founder  of  the  faith,  delay  His  glorious  work, 
till  mankind  dismissed  their  hatred  to  holiness,  and 
consented  to  withhold  from  Him  the  hand  of  vio- 
lence, and  the  instruments  of  cruelty  and  death  ? 
And  shall  we,  who  bear  in  our  foreheads  the  sign  of 
His  crucifixion,  shrink  from  the  fellowship  of  His 
sufferings  ? 

Brethren  of  the  clergy,  once  bound  to  me,  as 
"  with  one  heart  and  one  mind  ;"  once  striving  to- 
gether with  me  hand  in  hand  for  "  the  faith  once  de- 
livered to  the  saints ;"  will  ye  not  hear  my  voice, 
and  stand  firm  with  me  once  more  against  the  enemy 
of  truth,  of  God  and  righteousness,  in  this  evil  day  ? 
All  signs  admonish  us  that  it  is  the  last  day. 
The  struggle  will  soon  be  over ;  let  us  not  faint  nor 
be  discouraged,  but  be  willing  to  take  to  ourselves 
the  whole  armour  of  God !  Power  is  committed  unto 
us  for  the  Salvation  of  men, — "  mysteries,  manifold 
gifts,"  are  entrusted  to  us.  Let  us  stir  up  the  gift 
that  is  in  us,  and  magnify  our  office.  Listen,  once 
more,  to  that  captain  of  our  host  who  has  passed  out 
of  the  shadow  of  this  world — -the  lion-hearted  Ra- 
venscroft !  "  The  unity  of  the  Church  ;  its  distinctive 
character,  its  religious  purposes,  the  authority  of  its 
ministry, — these,"  says  he,  "are  the  points  about  which 
a  most  lamentable  ignorance  prevails,  and  most  un- 
founded opinions  are  becoming  established,  not  only 
among  Episcopalians,  but  at  large.  To  permit  this 
ignorance  to  be  undisturbed  is  to  be  false  to  our  or- 
dination vows — false  to  our  acknowledged  princi- 
ples, and  false  to  the  souls  committed  to  our  care. 
If  these  principles  are  woven  into  the  very  frame- 
work of  our  polity — impregnable  in  their  truth — es- 
sential to  the  great  work  we  have  in  hand,  let  us  not 
appear  ashamed  of  them,  or  weakly  afraid  of  the  con- 
sequences, and  thus  become  parties  to  that  miserable 
delusion  which  weakens  us  as  a  body,  and  strengthens 
the  ranks  of  our  adversaries,  and  I  will  fearlessly  say, 


A  PASTORAL  LETTER.  77 

Weakens  the  cause  of  true  religion,  by  tacitly  owning  one 
division  after  another,  till  the  great  master-principle 
of  the  Church  of  God,  its  unity,  is  merged  in   the 
mass  of  Christian  names  and  swallowed  up  by  the 
indifference  and  infidelity  thus  fostered.     In  coming 
to  this  duty,   however,  my  reverend  brethren,  it  is 
my  part  to  warn  you  to  set  your  faces  like  a  flint 
against   the   misrepresentations    and   reproaches    of 
pretended  friends,  real  enemies,  who  will  be  sure  to 
combine  against  you,  aud  throw  every  obstacle  in 
your  way.     But  eternity  alone  can  furnish  the  re- 
ward or  inflict  the  punishment  which  await  the  faith- 
ful or  unfaithful  stewards  of  the  mysteries  of  God. 
You  watch  for  souls,  and  for  souls  you  must  give  an 
account — not  with  the  loss  or  gain  of  worldly  honors, 
dignities,  or  emoluments,  but  with  your  own  souls  I 
There  is  no  alternative — no  escape  from  this  con- 
dition on  which  you  hold  and  exercise  your  holy  of- 
fice." 

Ever  your  faithful  friend 

And  servant  in  Christ, 

L.  SILLIMAN  IVES. 


Valle  Crucis,  Aug.  8,  1849, 


"  Who  is  not  a  heretic. 

"He  who  hath  willingly  subscribed  to  the 
Word  of  God,  attested  in  the  everlasting 
Scriptures — to     all     the     primitive     creeds — to 

the     four     general     councils to     the     common 

judgment  of  the  fathers  for  six  hundred  years 
after  Christ- — (which  we  of  our  Reformation  re- 
ligiously profess  to  do) — this  .  man    may   possibly 

ERR  IN  TRIFLES,  BUT  HE  CANNOT 

BE     A     HERETIC. 

Bp.  Hall 

by 

Bishop   Ravenscroft. 


Fn  regard  to  the  substance  of  my  Charge  to  the 
Clergy  at  the  last  Convention,  I  desire  distinctly  to 
avow  my  adherence  to  it,  as  my  belief,  always  and. 
still. 


NOTE, 

THE  FOLLOWING  IS  IN  ANSWER  TO   A  POPULAR    OBJECTION  TO  ABSOLUTION. 

If  it  be  urged,  that  the  minister  cannot  know  the  heart  of  man ; 
and  should  he,  therefore,  grant  absolution  to  one  who  deceived  him  by 
false  representations  of  his  faith  and  repentance,  it  would  be  of  no 
avail  at  the  tribunal  of  heaven ;  it  may  be  very  true,  yet  it  will  not  de- 
tract from  the  comfort  and  value  of  absolution  to  those  who  are  sincere. 
A  patient  may  deceive  his  physician  by  a  false  enunciation  of  symp- 
toms, and  his  life  be  the  forfeit,  but  this  is  no  proof  of  the  physician's 
general  ignorance  of  his  art,  nor  any  evidence  that  his  services  are  not 
generally  effective  of  their  purpose.  All  the  ordinances  of  Christianity 
are  administered  without  certain  knowledge  of  their  effect  in  any  indi- 
vidual case  ;  yet  this  is  deemed  no  reason  for  withholding  them  from  all, 
or  of  prononncing  them  altogether  useless.  They  are,  by  the  appoint- 
ment of  God,  conditionally  effective,  and  so  are  conditionally  adminis- 
tered. In  like  manner  is  the  power  and  agency  of  the  ministry  in- 
tended to  be  positively  efficient.  Such  is  the  rule.  And  although  a 
justa  nd  merciful  God  will  never  sanction  an  unrighteous  act  of  his  min- 
isters ;  still,  the  general  rule,  whereby  he  ratifies  their  faithful  agency 
according  to  his  promise,  is  not  thereby  annulled.  Any  objection,  there- 
fore, brought  against  ministerial  power  in  the  various  forms  of  absolu- 
tion, from  the  possibility  of  its  unjust  or  erroneous  exercise,  and  that  in 
such  a  case,  God  will  reverse  the  judgment  of  his  servants,  will  be  of 
equal  weight  against  any  ministerial  function  whatever,  whose  authority 
is  derived  from  my  text  and  its  parallel  passages. 

If  they  be  interpreted  to  mean  no-  more  than  simple  admission  into 
the  Chureh  and  excommunication  therefrom,  or  only  the  mildest  form 
of  censure  ;  yet,  in  all  these,  particularly  in  admission  to  the  Holy  Com- 
munion, there  is  liability  to  error  in  the  minister,  because  he  cannot 
scan  the  hearts  of  others.  Yet  there  still  remains  the  promise  connected 
with  this  ministerial  function,  whatever  it  might  be,  that  what  is  done 
by  the  ministry  on  earth,  shall  be  ratified  in  heaven.  The  same  diffi- 
culty, if  it  be  a  difficulty,  will  attend  every  mode  of  interpreting  these 
passages,  which  supposes  that  they  contain  any  authority  for  ministe- 
rial action." — Rev.  M,  A.  Curtis'  Sir.  on  Sacramental  Absolut,  p.  23^ 


HOB  ART      PRESSV 

57,  Ann-Street, 

J.  r.  m'gown,   pr  jn-ts&e^- 


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